Lady of Mordor
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Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for the plot and unrecognizable characters.
Chapter Three
The Road Goes Ever On and On...
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She chose a route around the White City towards Rivendell, the Elven refuge. Her horse was quick and graceful and easily reached Rauros Fall at the break of dawn. The dark blue sky speckled with glowing stars had disappeared, replaced with a pale pink, streaked with orange as the Sun crept slowly over the green hills and bare tree branches (for it was fall, nearing winter).
The crashing sound of the waterfall was heard as she stopped on the grounds of Emyn Muil, bare and dark. She rode until a sea of trees concealed her from sight, dark and mysterious, whispering and speaking.
Fuinwen dismounted her dark stallion and allowed him to drink from the river, Anduin as she neared the trees, searching for fallen branches for firewood.
A wind rushed past her, caked with winter frost. She shivered as the wind penetrated her tattered light gown, covered with holes, caked with dry blood.
Fallen branches were one of the very few in her arms. Her firewood consisted of twigs and broken sticks as well as thick heavy fallen branches she dragged towards the shore where her horse stood, his tail swaying back and forth.
She gently placed the firewood onto the ground, a series of soft clunks followed. Fuinwen crawled towards the shore, edging closer to the water. The sound of crashing water rung clearly in her Elven ears. Her fingers touched the clear, cool water and her hand disappeared underneath the water, wrapping its fingers around a slimy rock beneath the riverbank.
Her hand emerged from the water, wet but clutching a dark rock, stained with water. Another rock was seen on the shore, large and heavy, buried deep inside the earth. She struck the rock she held in her hands against the larger rock.
A series of sparks flew onto the firewood nearby and diminished. She continued striking the rock, watching sparks fly onto the dry branches and twigs until the sparks transformed into a small, crackling fire. Fuinwen yawned and stared at the pale blue sky above, her eyes illuminated by the Sun, shining from beneath the trees.
It was morning and the first sign of daylight stung her eyes. Too long had she dwelled in the shadows of black and now the Sun smiled down on her. The fire was still crackling near her and she ate the black bread of Mordor and drank from the Anduin. The water was pure and sweet to her tongue as she sipped from her cupped hands.
It was cool and crisp, as an autumn's day and sweet and pure as the Sun and dawn, unlike the bitter water of Mordor. She savored the water as she drank to her heart's content. Her loaf of bread was devoured, washed down by the water, its foul taste washed away from her tongue.
The fire slowly weakened and only embers and ashes remained. She was tired and weak and she was not near Rivendell still. The realm of Lorien lied ahead, another Elven refuge. Her muscles ached as she mounted her steed.
She squeezed his sides with her heels and in reply, he flew across the barren land of Emyn Muil, jumping gracefully and lightly over the sharp rocks littering the ground.
I am near Lorien, she thought slowly as her steed halted to a stop. "Avoid the woods of the Elven refuge, Lorien," she whispered.
"Avoid the woods of the Elven refuge, Lorien," the Orc snapped. "The Elf witch will try to stop you for she knows all."
A fear erupted inside her, her heart pounding against her ribs. "For she knows all," she whispered. Did the Orc speak the truth? Did this Elf witch know all?
Shaking her head, she kicked the sides of her stallion causing him to gallop quickly across the land. "Ride harder!" she hissed to the horse. Rivendell was still far from her reach and she also needed to journey around the Misty Mountains and through Hollin.
The Sun was now hovering above her, lighting the trees surrounding her. The sound of Nimrodel echoed in her ears as she past Lorien. The sound of gurgling water mingled with the sound of sweet singing soothed her gently.
The Road goes ever on and on...
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A/N: Thank you for the reviews: Enednilwen, Evenstar. I'm sorry it's not getting too much into action or adventure yet but I assumed it would take a while to travel to Rivendell from Mordor. I'm doing this book verse except for some parts where it is fairly long. And I forgot about the mark of Sauron. *hits head* I'm stupid. I'll fix that.
R&R!