Okay, so here comes the next chapter. And I just REALLY REALLY REALLY want
to thank Red Dragon for REVIEWING!!! The only reason I'm still putting
this up is because of that one review! See how much difference ONE review
can make? Thanx Red Dragon
Disclaimer: Check Chapter One
PS. Red Dragon: Yeah, I don't exactly like reading all those romance stories with Legolas in them because the chicks in them just go to MUSH when they meet. It's not right.
Davie: Thanx for reviewing too, even though I kinda made you :* love ya, thanx
"Lokrantara, I find great joy in your presence." Honora said to the great bird that sat perched upton a boulder near-bye.
"As do I find joy in your presence, Larana." The eagle spoke gently in the common tongue. "Why have you called me to you?"
"I need you to send a message to Lord Faramir of Minas Tirith. Tell him I will come to him as soon as possible but for now my errand is in the wastes of Mordor and I will not be back for a few weeks, if luck holds with me." She said and stroked the eagles neck.
"I will take this message to Lord Faramir of Minas Tirith, if only we could meet more often. The last time we were together was five and twenty years before this." Lokrantara said mournfully.
"We will meet again, when I am finished this task. I will ask permission from my master and will go to your home in the Misty Mountains." Honora said.
"Very well, Larana, I will take this message to Lord Faramir of Minas Tirith and then I will wait for you at my home. Good luck on your errand, may the Grace of the Sky be with you." Lokrantara said and flapped her great wings once to lift her off the ground. "There is a grey blur coming this way at great speed across the wastelands."
"It should be Tzarinita of the Wolves. I have called him to me as well, for Anarvende is carrying come companions of mine." Honora answered.
"Tzarinita? It has been almost a thousand years since I last met with Tzarinita! Oh, what joy to meet two old friends on the same occasion!" The large bird exclaimed.
"Honora! And if my eyes do not deceive me, I would have to say it was the great Lokrantara as well! I did not expect to see you here, my flying friend." Tzarinita called as he came running towards the two, as big as the mightiest horse.
"Nor did I expect to see you, Tzarinita. How have you fared since our last meeting?" Lokrantara asked.
"As well as can be expected in such uncertain times. I'm afraid the Eagles and the Wolves have passed into legend. And I fear the Elves will not be far behind." The great wolf said sadly.
"This is one Elf who will not pass away over the Sea. When I have finished all there is for me to accomplish in Middle-Earth I will cast myself over the Falls of Anduin and go to my homeland there." Honora said sternly.
"Yes, we all know of your heritage, Honored One. But come, why have you summoned us here?" Tzarinta asked.
"If you would bear me, as you once did, to the Dark Mountain, that is all I would ask of you. Lokrantara has already agreed to take a message to the White City for me." Honora said.
"I would gladly bear you, My Lady. But when that is done, when would we meet again? For surely it has been too long." Tzarinita asked.
"Then meet again with Lokrantara at her home in the Misty Mountains, for that is where I shall go as soon as I am free to do so." Honora suggested.
"Yes, Tzarinita, your presence would be most welcome in my home." Lokrantara said happily.
"Very well then, we will all meet again in a few months time at the home of Lokrantara in the Misty Mountains." He declared and knelt down to let Honora climb onto his back.
"Thank you, Lokrantara for taking my message. And thank you, Tzarinita for bearing me like a beast of burden." Honora said gratefully. The Great Eagles gave a cry and leapt into the air, circling slowly to gain altitude above the dead wastelands that scanned for as far as the eye could see around them.
"You are not a burden, My Lady, and I would gladly bear you to the farthest corner of Middle-Earth. Who would not proudly bear the Honored One? All hail, Honora!" He cried. "You should regain your birth right, My Lady, instead of wandering around here in the wilds and wastelands."
"A thrown is no place for me, my friend, nor will it ever be." She said softly. "But come, the Hobbits must have a good three hour lead on us now."
The great beast gave a growl and bound into action. Honora buried her hands deep into the thick grey fur of Tzarinita's neck and held on as tight as she could. After a while she slipped into reverie, the Elven state of conscious sleep, keeping aware of her surroundings.
"She's on her way now, Sam." Frodo said softly as the held tightly onto Anarvende's mane. "How do you know, Mister Frodo?" Sam asked.
"I can feel her. The Ring isn't such a burden when she's near. She's coming to us." Frodo answered.
Almost half an hour later they could see a dark blur moving across the wastelands behind them. They both shared a moment of fear, thinking the Nazgul were coming for them, but they soon saw a glimpse of white-blonde hair and knew it was Honora on the back of the Great Wolf she had spoke of earlier.
Frodo pulled gently on the reins to slow Anarvende to a brisk walk. They both turned to watch their saviors arrival. She smiled when she saw them but her smile was troubled.
"How long have you stayed at this pace?" She asked with worry.
"Only since you came into our view." Frodo asked. "Why? What has happened?"
"We must hurry. Sauron's emissary has already rode forth to start the negotiations with the Captains of the West. Hold on, young Hobbits" Honora said. "Carin orme, Anarvende!" (Make haste, Anarvende!)
The horse gave a neigh and bound into motion, setting off at a quick gallop. "Mando ana te, Velice Narmo!" (Keep to them, Great Wolf!) Tzarinita kept pace with Anarvende for the next hour as they rode together to Mount Doom.
Honora suddenly felt a great tension, as if some evil was near. "Hauta! Anarvende! Velice Narmo!"(Stop! Anarvende! Great Wolf!) Both mounts came to a sudden halt.
"What is it? Why are we stopped?" Sam asked nervously from Anarvende's back.
"Quiet!" Honora hissed as she listened carefully to the sounds of the dead wastelands of Mordor. "Trolls! Frodo, Sam, go on ahead, as fast as you can! I will catch up to you when I am able. You should reach the mountain within an hour if you go Anarvende's fastest." She ordered. "Noro lim, Anarvende! Noro lim!" (Ride fast, Anarvende! Ride fast!) The great horse gave a whinny and galloped away as fast as she could.
"Well, Honora, do we go to battle together now?" Tzarinita asked with a growl.
"Wait, Tzarinita. There sounds like there may be many. We will try to avoid any fight if possible. Trolls ... they should not have been created." She said in disgust.
"They were made as a mockery of Ents, if I'm not mistaken." Tzarinita said as he moved stealthily towards a large boulder they could hide behind.
"The Ents faded into myth a very long time ago. There have been no Entlings in almost an age. Trolls on the other hand, seem to be as abundant as air." She said sourly."Quiet now, Tzarinita. They are coming." She whispered and slid silently off the great wolfs back.
"We do as the Eye commands us to do, Gustorv! And just because your too weak to lead your troll around, doesn't give you any right to slow down the rest of us!" A harsh voice growled.
"Shut up, you two! I heard something. Nobody make a sound." A demanding voice ordered.
One of the trolls gave a loud roar and started towards the boulder they were hiding behind. They could feel the vibrations of its huge feet as it lumbered closer. It's huge ugly face suddenly loomed over them. It gave a loud roar, Honora made a look of disgust at it's bad breath.
"Looks like your boy's found something." One of the Orcs said happily. "Let's go see what it is."
Honora notched her bow with an arrow and aimed it carefully at the trolls eye. She fired it into the beasts eye and the troll gave a loud roar in pain. She hastily crawled back up onto Tzarinita's back. "Nornoro, Velice Narmo! Nornoro oa ho Hobbits!" (Run, Great Wolf! Run away from the Hobbits)
Tzarinita gave a great roar and bound away from their place of hiding. They had had no reckoning of how many foe they would have been against and now they were thankful of Honora's thinking, for there were more than a dozen trolls and twice as many Orcs.
" Ilya na vanwa! Na la estel mi sina mahta! Vamme voronwa." (All is lost! There is no hope in this fight! We will not endure.)" Honora heard a familiar voice cry out in her head almost three quarters of an hour later.
She closed her eyes and willed herself to link her mind to Legolas over the miles of dead wasteland between them. "Uin anta amba, Legolas. I mahta na la or." (Do not give up, Legolas. The fight is not over.)
"When will it be over? When will peace begin?" He demanded.
"Hope is what saves us, Legolas. Do not give up hope." She soothed.
"Man lume selma i Heri pel?" (What hour will the Lady return?) He asked half distracted, from the battle.
"Ve rato ve inye lotesse, Legolas. Ve rato ve inye lotesse." (As soon as I can, Legolas. As soon as I can." She replied."Tzarinita, are they still following us?" Honora asked.
"I do not believe so, Honora. I think we're safe." Tzarinita answered.
"Go back to the Hobbits then. I am supposed to be protecting them." She ordered.
Suddenly there was a great disturbance in the air. Tzarinita froze absolutely still and Honora could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise.
"Something has gone amiss, the Eye is angry." She said quietly. "Hurry, Tzarinita, as fast as you can, get me to Mount Doom."
Tzarinita bound across the barren landscape towards the smoking mountain but when they arrived they found the molten rock was already flowing down its side. And sitting on a small island in the middle of the lava were the two hobbits.
"Frodo! Sam!" Honora called helplessly on the other side of the molten gap. "Is there no way you can get across, Tzarinita?"
"I can swim in water, Honora, but not in melting rock. And the gap is too big for me to jump and growing all the time. Not even Anarvende could jump that river." Tzarinita replied.
"Anarvende? Where is Anarvende?" She cried in fear.
The horse neighed and galloped towards her at the mention of her name. She shifted her feet nervously at the melted rock flowing before them.
"We must leave now, Honora. The melted rock is flowing around behind us. We will soon be closed in and trapped just like them!" Tzarinita cried.
"I cannot leave them, Tzarinita! I swore to Lord Aragorn that I would protect them." She cried as she slid from his back.
"What good will it do, Lord Aragorn, or these Hobbits, if your dead, Honored One? You cannot help them! Do not let your sacrifice be in vain!" Tzarinita ordered and scooped her back onto his back. He called to Anarvende to follow and they quickly got out of dangers way.
"Frodo! Sam!" She cried. The call of a Great Eagle made her look up to the sky and in relief she saw Mithrandir riding upon one of the greatest Eagles followed by to smaller ones.
"Mithrandir! They are trapped on a small island in the lava! I could not save them! Please help them!" She called to the powerful wizards mind.
"Do not fret, Honora! Go back to your Master. I will take care of the two hobbits." Mithrandir called in a booming voice from where he was mounted upon the Eagles back.
Honora wearily slid off the back of the Great Wolf and sat down on the dead earth of Mordor. And she wept now for she truly just realized how close they could have been to losing all they loved and cherished. She wept for the undying hope the Men of Gondor had and the bravery and valour of those who had lost their lives for the cause of good. She wept for those who's wills had been strong enough to endure the threat of the Eye. And finally, she wept for those who had not been as strong, for those who had succumbed to the Eye and were corrupted by its power. Like Saruman, who was more of a father to her than any other. And for all the Elves who had been tortured and corrupted into Orcs.
It is said that now, in the place she wept grows a grand tree with a trunk of silver and leaves of gold. They call it the Hope Tree for that is why, they say, it is there. To show that hope can survive, even in the most horrible of places.
Disclaimer: Check Chapter One
PS. Red Dragon: Yeah, I don't exactly like reading all those romance stories with Legolas in them because the chicks in them just go to MUSH when they meet. It's not right.
Davie: Thanx for reviewing too, even though I kinda made you :* love ya, thanx
"Lokrantara, I find great joy in your presence." Honora said to the great bird that sat perched upton a boulder near-bye.
"As do I find joy in your presence, Larana." The eagle spoke gently in the common tongue. "Why have you called me to you?"
"I need you to send a message to Lord Faramir of Minas Tirith. Tell him I will come to him as soon as possible but for now my errand is in the wastes of Mordor and I will not be back for a few weeks, if luck holds with me." She said and stroked the eagles neck.
"I will take this message to Lord Faramir of Minas Tirith, if only we could meet more often. The last time we were together was five and twenty years before this." Lokrantara said mournfully.
"We will meet again, when I am finished this task. I will ask permission from my master and will go to your home in the Misty Mountains." Honora said.
"Very well, Larana, I will take this message to Lord Faramir of Minas Tirith and then I will wait for you at my home. Good luck on your errand, may the Grace of the Sky be with you." Lokrantara said and flapped her great wings once to lift her off the ground. "There is a grey blur coming this way at great speed across the wastelands."
"It should be Tzarinita of the Wolves. I have called him to me as well, for Anarvende is carrying come companions of mine." Honora answered.
"Tzarinita? It has been almost a thousand years since I last met with Tzarinita! Oh, what joy to meet two old friends on the same occasion!" The large bird exclaimed.
"Honora! And if my eyes do not deceive me, I would have to say it was the great Lokrantara as well! I did not expect to see you here, my flying friend." Tzarinita called as he came running towards the two, as big as the mightiest horse.
"Nor did I expect to see you, Tzarinita. How have you fared since our last meeting?" Lokrantara asked.
"As well as can be expected in such uncertain times. I'm afraid the Eagles and the Wolves have passed into legend. And I fear the Elves will not be far behind." The great wolf said sadly.
"This is one Elf who will not pass away over the Sea. When I have finished all there is for me to accomplish in Middle-Earth I will cast myself over the Falls of Anduin and go to my homeland there." Honora said sternly.
"Yes, we all know of your heritage, Honored One. But come, why have you summoned us here?" Tzarinta asked.
"If you would bear me, as you once did, to the Dark Mountain, that is all I would ask of you. Lokrantara has already agreed to take a message to the White City for me." Honora said.
"I would gladly bear you, My Lady. But when that is done, when would we meet again? For surely it has been too long." Tzarinita asked.
"Then meet again with Lokrantara at her home in the Misty Mountains, for that is where I shall go as soon as I am free to do so." Honora suggested.
"Yes, Tzarinita, your presence would be most welcome in my home." Lokrantara said happily.
"Very well then, we will all meet again in a few months time at the home of Lokrantara in the Misty Mountains." He declared and knelt down to let Honora climb onto his back.
"Thank you, Lokrantara for taking my message. And thank you, Tzarinita for bearing me like a beast of burden." Honora said gratefully. The Great Eagles gave a cry and leapt into the air, circling slowly to gain altitude above the dead wastelands that scanned for as far as the eye could see around them.
"You are not a burden, My Lady, and I would gladly bear you to the farthest corner of Middle-Earth. Who would not proudly bear the Honored One? All hail, Honora!" He cried. "You should regain your birth right, My Lady, instead of wandering around here in the wilds and wastelands."
"A thrown is no place for me, my friend, nor will it ever be." She said softly. "But come, the Hobbits must have a good three hour lead on us now."
The great beast gave a growl and bound into action. Honora buried her hands deep into the thick grey fur of Tzarinita's neck and held on as tight as she could. After a while she slipped into reverie, the Elven state of conscious sleep, keeping aware of her surroundings.
"She's on her way now, Sam." Frodo said softly as the held tightly onto Anarvende's mane. "How do you know, Mister Frodo?" Sam asked.
"I can feel her. The Ring isn't such a burden when she's near. She's coming to us." Frodo answered.
Almost half an hour later they could see a dark blur moving across the wastelands behind them. They both shared a moment of fear, thinking the Nazgul were coming for them, but they soon saw a glimpse of white-blonde hair and knew it was Honora on the back of the Great Wolf she had spoke of earlier.
Frodo pulled gently on the reins to slow Anarvende to a brisk walk. They both turned to watch their saviors arrival. She smiled when she saw them but her smile was troubled.
"How long have you stayed at this pace?" She asked with worry.
"Only since you came into our view." Frodo asked. "Why? What has happened?"
"We must hurry. Sauron's emissary has already rode forth to start the negotiations with the Captains of the West. Hold on, young Hobbits" Honora said. "Carin orme, Anarvende!" (Make haste, Anarvende!)
The horse gave a neigh and bound into motion, setting off at a quick gallop. "Mando ana te, Velice Narmo!" (Keep to them, Great Wolf!) Tzarinita kept pace with Anarvende for the next hour as they rode together to Mount Doom.
Honora suddenly felt a great tension, as if some evil was near. "Hauta! Anarvende! Velice Narmo!"(Stop! Anarvende! Great Wolf!) Both mounts came to a sudden halt.
"What is it? Why are we stopped?" Sam asked nervously from Anarvende's back.
"Quiet!" Honora hissed as she listened carefully to the sounds of the dead wastelands of Mordor. "Trolls! Frodo, Sam, go on ahead, as fast as you can! I will catch up to you when I am able. You should reach the mountain within an hour if you go Anarvende's fastest." She ordered. "Noro lim, Anarvende! Noro lim!" (Ride fast, Anarvende! Ride fast!) The great horse gave a whinny and galloped away as fast as she could.
"Well, Honora, do we go to battle together now?" Tzarinita asked with a growl.
"Wait, Tzarinita. There sounds like there may be many. We will try to avoid any fight if possible. Trolls ... they should not have been created." She said in disgust.
"They were made as a mockery of Ents, if I'm not mistaken." Tzarinita said as he moved stealthily towards a large boulder they could hide behind.
"The Ents faded into myth a very long time ago. There have been no Entlings in almost an age. Trolls on the other hand, seem to be as abundant as air." She said sourly."Quiet now, Tzarinita. They are coming." She whispered and slid silently off the great wolfs back.
"We do as the Eye commands us to do, Gustorv! And just because your too weak to lead your troll around, doesn't give you any right to slow down the rest of us!" A harsh voice growled.
"Shut up, you two! I heard something. Nobody make a sound." A demanding voice ordered.
One of the trolls gave a loud roar and started towards the boulder they were hiding behind. They could feel the vibrations of its huge feet as it lumbered closer. It's huge ugly face suddenly loomed over them. It gave a loud roar, Honora made a look of disgust at it's bad breath.
"Looks like your boy's found something." One of the Orcs said happily. "Let's go see what it is."
Honora notched her bow with an arrow and aimed it carefully at the trolls eye. She fired it into the beasts eye and the troll gave a loud roar in pain. She hastily crawled back up onto Tzarinita's back. "Nornoro, Velice Narmo! Nornoro oa ho Hobbits!" (Run, Great Wolf! Run away from the Hobbits)
Tzarinita gave a great roar and bound away from their place of hiding. They had had no reckoning of how many foe they would have been against and now they were thankful of Honora's thinking, for there were more than a dozen trolls and twice as many Orcs.
" Ilya na vanwa! Na la estel mi sina mahta! Vamme voronwa." (All is lost! There is no hope in this fight! We will not endure.)" Honora heard a familiar voice cry out in her head almost three quarters of an hour later.
She closed her eyes and willed herself to link her mind to Legolas over the miles of dead wasteland between them. "Uin anta amba, Legolas. I mahta na la or." (Do not give up, Legolas. The fight is not over.)
"When will it be over? When will peace begin?" He demanded.
"Hope is what saves us, Legolas. Do not give up hope." She soothed.
"Man lume selma i Heri pel?" (What hour will the Lady return?) He asked half distracted, from the battle.
"Ve rato ve inye lotesse, Legolas. Ve rato ve inye lotesse." (As soon as I can, Legolas. As soon as I can." She replied."Tzarinita, are they still following us?" Honora asked.
"I do not believe so, Honora. I think we're safe." Tzarinita answered.
"Go back to the Hobbits then. I am supposed to be protecting them." She ordered.
Suddenly there was a great disturbance in the air. Tzarinita froze absolutely still and Honora could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise.
"Something has gone amiss, the Eye is angry." She said quietly. "Hurry, Tzarinita, as fast as you can, get me to Mount Doom."
Tzarinita bound across the barren landscape towards the smoking mountain but when they arrived they found the molten rock was already flowing down its side. And sitting on a small island in the middle of the lava were the two hobbits.
"Frodo! Sam!" Honora called helplessly on the other side of the molten gap. "Is there no way you can get across, Tzarinita?"
"I can swim in water, Honora, but not in melting rock. And the gap is too big for me to jump and growing all the time. Not even Anarvende could jump that river." Tzarinita replied.
"Anarvende? Where is Anarvende?" She cried in fear.
The horse neighed and galloped towards her at the mention of her name. She shifted her feet nervously at the melted rock flowing before them.
"We must leave now, Honora. The melted rock is flowing around behind us. We will soon be closed in and trapped just like them!" Tzarinita cried.
"I cannot leave them, Tzarinita! I swore to Lord Aragorn that I would protect them." She cried as she slid from his back.
"What good will it do, Lord Aragorn, or these Hobbits, if your dead, Honored One? You cannot help them! Do not let your sacrifice be in vain!" Tzarinita ordered and scooped her back onto his back. He called to Anarvende to follow and they quickly got out of dangers way.
"Frodo! Sam!" She cried. The call of a Great Eagle made her look up to the sky and in relief she saw Mithrandir riding upon one of the greatest Eagles followed by to smaller ones.
"Mithrandir! They are trapped on a small island in the lava! I could not save them! Please help them!" She called to the powerful wizards mind.
"Do not fret, Honora! Go back to your Master. I will take care of the two hobbits." Mithrandir called in a booming voice from where he was mounted upon the Eagles back.
Honora wearily slid off the back of the Great Wolf and sat down on the dead earth of Mordor. And she wept now for she truly just realized how close they could have been to losing all they loved and cherished. She wept for the undying hope the Men of Gondor had and the bravery and valour of those who had lost their lives for the cause of good. She wept for those who's wills had been strong enough to endure the threat of the Eye. And finally, she wept for those who had not been as strong, for those who had succumbed to the Eye and were corrupted by its power. Like Saruman, who was more of a father to her than any other. And for all the Elves who had been tortured and corrupted into Orcs.
It is said that now, in the place she wept grows a grand tree with a trunk of silver and leaves of gold. They call it the Hope Tree for that is why, they say, it is there. To show that hope can survive, even in the most horrible of places.