SamdraSmith19 & Nirobie: Thanks so much for reviewing again. I'm glad you keep reviewing. Hope you like this chapter. You guys are both so encouraging.
Elfing: Thanks for your review, it was one of the best I've every gotten, which isn't a lot.
ROTK spoilers in this chapter and chapters to follow.
Chapter Four
Gondor
After seven days of traveling at a brisk pace, mountains came into view. Reaching the first of the foothills by nightfall, Nárie stopped to make camp. Gathering dry sticks and brush along with several large logs, she started a fire. Once it was roaring, she began to prepare a meal for herself. During the day she had been able to snare a small rabbit and carried it with her. Her method of kill and cleaning, a small dagger that she had found in the forest one day. Finding a flat rock and setting it by the fire, she laid the cut and cleaned meat upon it. Although the animal had been small, it would be just enough to keep her going for the next day.
Searching through her pack, she pulled out a canteen. It was nearly dry, having lasted her for the journey thus far. Swallowing the last drops, she sighed and replaced the cover.
"I shall have to refill it tomorrow," she said to herself, "I'm sure there will be a mountain stream somewhere around here."
Glancing over at the cook meal, she flipped it over to the other side. It was beginning to smell delicious. As the meat continued to cook, Nárie pulled her bedroll from her pack and spread it close to the fire. The nights got cold out in the open, especially the closer she got to the mountains.
Finally the food was ready and Nárie pulled the rock away from the fire, careful to grab to cooler side. It would also serve as a plate. Using her dagger she slowly cut apart the food and ate it. It wasn't the best rabbit she had ever eaten, but after a long days run it wasn't bad.
As Nárie cleaned up her camp so she would be ready to go when the sunrise, she glanced at the sky to the east. The past several nights she had noticed a shadow growing, slowly creeping westward, but during the day, try as she might, she could not see any storm clouds. But this night it seemed closer and larger. "This can't be a normal storm," she whispered to herself, "I best pick up speed tomorrow if I wish to reach Gondor in time. I fear I may be too late," Something dreadful had been growing in her mind as she slept. The nights were long and she often woke from her tossing and turning in a cold sweat, staring at the shadow.
Drifting off into a restless sleep, Nárie dreamt of dark things such as orcs, goblins, and even creatures that she had never seen before. They just seemed to appear inside her mind. Nearing the end of her dream, fire covered her vision. She began to choke and cough, desperately trying to get away from the fires, somehow, some way; though she didn't know where to go no matter which way she turned. Just as she thought she could not bear another second, she jumped to her feat. The fire was gone, her breathing came normal, though fast, and the burning sensation on her skin was gone. A fine sheen of sheet covered her body though she shivered in the cool night air.
Sighing, Nárie gathered her things, realizing she would not sleep again tonight. Throwing her sack over her should, she set off at a jog. As she topped the last hill before the castle came into view, she gasped in shock. The city was in flames. Dark figures swarmed to walls, hurling more balls of rock, flame and anything they could find. Thousands more stood fighting others on the ground. As she continued to watch, she heard a terrible that made her want to shrink the ground and sob. Resisting the urge, she saw a dark shadow rise up from the depths of the battlefield and flew east, back to Mordor.
Silently Nárie cursed herself for not having another weapon, not that she could much help it. Taking a deep breath to draw her courage, she ran toward the battling enemies. She respected Gondor for its reputation, but that was not the real reason she wished to join the fight. These creatures had come through her homeland and destroyed everything. She wanted revenge.
Drawing her single dagger for now, she plunged forward. She passed over fallen bodies before she reached the hoards of creatures. Pausing, she drew a sword from the body of a fallen orc, and continued forward. Now she had a better chance of staying alive.
Nearing the first people still fighting, she killed a wild-man who was about to behead a young looking man. Without pausing she moved toward her next opponent. She had never had any real train as a warrior, but several years before, her father had taught her the basics. He said that she would need them incase someone attacked her. She would be able to defend herself against one or two attackers. It was the only decent thing he had ever done for her. Teaching her to defend herself or another helpless being.
Nárie continued to draw closer toward the city walls, killing those in her path. Amazingly, she only collected a few scraps and scratches. Her hair was beginning to fall from its confinements and flew into her eyes and sticking to her sweaty face. As she brushed it aside, her mouth dropped in awe. A blond haired elf fought before her eyes. An elf! Never before had she seen one. Her mother had told her nasty stories about elves killing men of no apparent reason. The woman had hated elves, but never explained why. Nárie, however had fallen in love with the immortal beings, and her deepest desire in life had been to one-day meet one. Now her dreams were coming true. He had graceful movements, dancing just out of the reach of another's sword. Ducking quickly, her thrust upward with his sword, killing another dark creature. He turned and seemed to spot her, realizing she had been watching him. Their eyes locked for a moment. He had the bluest eyes she had ever seen, and the fairest face.
A cry broke their trance. It came from a rugged looking man, wielding a brilliant white sword. Whipping around, Nárie threw her newfound sword up and blocked the swing of a huge black mass. It had razor sharp teeth and foamed at the mouth. She swung her sword around and sent his flying. But before she could take another swing at him, she felt a sharp pain in her side. Glancing downward, a dagger was buried in between her ribs. Gasping for air, she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. It was the elf. He had raised his bow and the black mass fell to the ground in front of Nárie, an arrow straight through his throat.
That was the last thing she saw before all went black.
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Well, here you guys go, hope you like it. Tell me what you think. I know it's not quite as eventful as the others, but it's gone get pretty exciting, pretty quickly.
I have beaten the system! Hurray for me. I have finally figured out how to format my chapters the way I want them, that is why I redid all the other chapters. Sorry for any confusion it may have caused.