And here's chapter five for all of you, not a long one, but I hope you'll enjoy it. A few clever people might make some connections ;-) but don't go spoiling the story for the rest of them. I don't own anything. All I do own is Rath, her horse, 23 bracelets and a copy of Fit Men R Us: The Lord of the Rings Edition. ^_^ lol.
The journey north was a long one, and Lyncorath knew that she would waste time in looking for Aragorn. For Rangers are hard to find in the wideness, even for one such as herself. It was truly dark now and she could travel no further tonight. She dismounted her horse and made camp.
She sat near the fire she had made in a little hollow near the road, she was not afraid of any orcs or men who would be wandering in these parts, she would be more that a match for any of them. Her horse was grazing nearby.
"Do not stray to far, Kathred." She told the mare, and settled down for the night.
A few hours later she awoke, and felt the icy fingers of dread begin the creep up her spine towards her heart. The fire had gone out and cold embers were all that remained. The full moon had risen to his highest point and lit the plains with a slivery blue light. She took some small comfort in the light of the stars, high in the night sky, as they reminded Rath of her true home. However, in the east she could see one star that she did not like nor trust, low in the sky, blood red, glowing ominously.
"Kathred!" She hissed, and felt reassurance in the horse's hot, if slightly stale breath on her neck. The mare whinnied softly in fear and Rath patted her nose and slowly rose to her feet. She let her mind spread out and discover the source of this disturbance. Something terrible and yet familiar. She had felt something like this before, years and years ago, when she had gone with the White Counsel to Dol Gulder to try and drive out the evil forces in Mirkwood, right before the Battle of the Five Armies. And what had been found there. . .
"Oh no!" Rath said in a low moan. "Not, not Them!?" She hurriedly packed up her blanket and swung her saddle and packs onto Kathred's back. She clambered onto the mares back and turned to flee northwards when dark shapes materialised out of the gloom.
"Oh, Eru help me!" She prayed. Gandalf had been right, the hobbit Frodo was in real danger. The Nazgul had arisen once again, and she was no match for them, for she was far from all aid. She ran.
With a dreadful cry the Ringwraiths spurred their horses and gave chase. The hunt was on. Over the moonlit plains the rode, the black steeds of the hunters and the pure white of the prey's. Rath's pursuers would sometimes nearly catch her up only for the white Kathred to dart ahead. For hours they seemed to gallop, Rath's head lowered down near the horse's neck, concentrating on the landscape ahead, trying to ignore the voices of the fell ones, telling her she was beyond all hope, that it was pointless to resist. That they would take her back to Mordor, that she would see her sister again, if she would let them take her to Mordor.
She crouched in her saddle, she could see that Kathred was becoming tired, she could run no longer. She would have to face her pursuers and try and try to drive them off. She sat up and pulled Kathred's reigns, hard, to the right. Heading towards a small outcropping of rocks, where she could make her stand. As she turned she held her arm out, palm facing towards the Riders, and hissed a stream of elvish incantations. A blast of sorcerous flame shot towards the Riders and they hissed and dived out of the way. Rath hadn't expected it to do any damage, but it had served as a distraction.
She reached the outcropping and turned to face the Riders. Silently they approached. Facing her enemy alone, sitting on a white horse, Lyncorath looked like some legendary elf shield-maiden out of the elder days. In truth, this was almost true.
"Listen to me, slaves of Sauron! I am Lyncorath, Veiled Light! Servant of Varda! She who you fear, Elbereth the star queen! Begon, lest the light be uncovered, for I am not under the dominion of you or your foul master, and never will be!"
The Wraiths response was only laughter, and their leader began to approach.
"Thou canst say I have not given thee fair warning, Dark Ones." She told them, her voice changing and growing deeper. The Morgul Lord halted at this sudden change.
"Give us what we will and we shall trouble you no more, Veiled One." He hissed.
Lyncorath raised her hand above her head and a light issued forth from a ring about her finger, illuminating her, and the Veil was lifted in her wrath. "Thou shalt never have it!" She screamed. "Neither mine nor the One you seek." And in an ancient tongue, older even that the elves she screamed:
"By the light of Laurelin I halt thee! By the light of Telperion I bind thee! And by the light Iluvatar I banish thee!"
A blinding light issued from her ring and the Wraiths screamed and fled into the darkness. Lyncorath let her hand fall and the light faded and she was once more a young woman who seemed tired and sad as she sat alone in the night.
"An impressive display," new voice addressed her from above, "but it will not be long before they return."
Rath looked about her, sharp eyes peering into the gloom. 'What now?' She thought to herself.
"I suggest that you tell me what's going on, Rath, before you go on." A figure swung off the small ledge above and landed right in front of her. Rath's face lit up.
"Estel!"
Any good? Was it to your liking? Well review and tell me then!
The journey north was a long one, and Lyncorath knew that she would waste time in looking for Aragorn. For Rangers are hard to find in the wideness, even for one such as herself. It was truly dark now and she could travel no further tonight. She dismounted her horse and made camp.
She sat near the fire she had made in a little hollow near the road, she was not afraid of any orcs or men who would be wandering in these parts, she would be more that a match for any of them. Her horse was grazing nearby.
"Do not stray to far, Kathred." She told the mare, and settled down for the night.
A few hours later she awoke, and felt the icy fingers of dread begin the creep up her spine towards her heart. The fire had gone out and cold embers were all that remained. The full moon had risen to his highest point and lit the plains with a slivery blue light. She took some small comfort in the light of the stars, high in the night sky, as they reminded Rath of her true home. However, in the east she could see one star that she did not like nor trust, low in the sky, blood red, glowing ominously.
"Kathred!" She hissed, and felt reassurance in the horse's hot, if slightly stale breath on her neck. The mare whinnied softly in fear and Rath patted her nose and slowly rose to her feet. She let her mind spread out and discover the source of this disturbance. Something terrible and yet familiar. She had felt something like this before, years and years ago, when she had gone with the White Counsel to Dol Gulder to try and drive out the evil forces in Mirkwood, right before the Battle of the Five Armies. And what had been found there. . .
"Oh no!" Rath said in a low moan. "Not, not Them!?" She hurriedly packed up her blanket and swung her saddle and packs onto Kathred's back. She clambered onto the mares back and turned to flee northwards when dark shapes materialised out of the gloom.
"Oh, Eru help me!" She prayed. Gandalf had been right, the hobbit Frodo was in real danger. The Nazgul had arisen once again, and she was no match for them, for she was far from all aid. She ran.
With a dreadful cry the Ringwraiths spurred their horses and gave chase. The hunt was on. Over the moonlit plains the rode, the black steeds of the hunters and the pure white of the prey's. Rath's pursuers would sometimes nearly catch her up only for the white Kathred to dart ahead. For hours they seemed to gallop, Rath's head lowered down near the horse's neck, concentrating on the landscape ahead, trying to ignore the voices of the fell ones, telling her she was beyond all hope, that it was pointless to resist. That they would take her back to Mordor, that she would see her sister again, if she would let them take her to Mordor.
She crouched in her saddle, she could see that Kathred was becoming tired, she could run no longer. She would have to face her pursuers and try and try to drive them off. She sat up and pulled Kathred's reigns, hard, to the right. Heading towards a small outcropping of rocks, where she could make her stand. As she turned she held her arm out, palm facing towards the Riders, and hissed a stream of elvish incantations. A blast of sorcerous flame shot towards the Riders and they hissed and dived out of the way. Rath hadn't expected it to do any damage, but it had served as a distraction.
She reached the outcropping and turned to face the Riders. Silently they approached. Facing her enemy alone, sitting on a white horse, Lyncorath looked like some legendary elf shield-maiden out of the elder days. In truth, this was almost true.
"Listen to me, slaves of Sauron! I am Lyncorath, Veiled Light! Servant of Varda! She who you fear, Elbereth the star queen! Begon, lest the light be uncovered, for I am not under the dominion of you or your foul master, and never will be!"
The Wraiths response was only laughter, and their leader began to approach.
"Thou canst say I have not given thee fair warning, Dark Ones." She told them, her voice changing and growing deeper. The Morgul Lord halted at this sudden change.
"Give us what we will and we shall trouble you no more, Veiled One." He hissed.
Lyncorath raised her hand above her head and a light issued forth from a ring about her finger, illuminating her, and the Veil was lifted in her wrath. "Thou shalt never have it!" She screamed. "Neither mine nor the One you seek." And in an ancient tongue, older even that the elves she screamed:
"By the light of Laurelin I halt thee! By the light of Telperion I bind thee! And by the light Iluvatar I banish thee!"
A blinding light issued from her ring and the Wraiths screamed and fled into the darkness. Lyncorath let her hand fall and the light faded and she was once more a young woman who seemed tired and sad as she sat alone in the night.
"An impressive display," new voice addressed her from above, "but it will not be long before they return."
Rath looked about her, sharp eyes peering into the gloom. 'What now?' She thought to herself.
"I suggest that you tell me what's going on, Rath, before you go on." A figure swung off the small ledge above and landed right in front of her. Rath's face lit up.
"Estel!"
Any good? Was it to your liking? Well review and tell me then!
