Well the story is definitely going to end soon. I'll be sad to finish it because I've been working on it for quite awhile but I'm also happy because then I can concentrate on my Gollum fic (which I am also going to finish off) and maybe start something new. I want to do something non-Lord of the Rings but I don't know what. I'll probably end up doing another Lord of the Rings fic… lol.

CHAPTER 30 : Darkness

Pippin watched with horror as men carried Faramir up in a stretcher. Denethor came rushing out of his hall, flying to his son's side. "Faramir! No, not Faramir!" The Steward wept, kneeling by his son. Then he stood up, walking away from Faramir, his back turned to the other men. But Pippin saw. Pippin saw the wild look in his eyes, the craziness that had begun to seize his mind.

Pippin went to Faramir, putting his hands over Faramir's forehead. And then he saw the rise and fall of Faramir's chest. Slight, but it was there. "He's alive! He's alive! He needs medicine!" Pippin cried out, but Denethor did not hear him. He was standing by the wall, looking down in shock.

It seemed as if all Mordor had been emptied. The fields of Pelennor were black with the legions of Orcs. Aislin stared down at them in wide-eyed horror. How can there be so many of them? It is impossible! She held Liana tightly to her.

"What are we going to do, Mother?" Liana shuddered, burying her head in Aislin's neck. "Where is Faramir?"

A lump grew in Aislin's throat, and she could barely speak, barely breathe. "Faramir's gone, Liana. Faramir is lost to us now," she whispered to her child, tightening her grip. She stood stock still as Liana's hot tears slid down her skin. What is going to happen to us now, with both brothers lost?

The soldiers scrambled to their positions, and Alban joined them. The Steward was mad, that much was clear now. Losing both his sons had driven him off the edge of sanity. But at least they had Mithrandir for now. Mithrandir would help, Mithrandir would lead them. He was the one person for them to put their faith in. It was obvious, though, that this would be a difficult war to win. Would they really try to fight for their freedom, or just make it more difficult for the Orcs to take over the city? He wasn't exactly sure. But there were women and children to defend here, and for now, that was all he would think of. His mind turned to Aislin, and her little Liana. Captain Boromir had loved her with his life, and Captain Faramir was her best friend. She was a brave woman, but her bravery would not get her far. He nodded to himself, vowing that he would fight till he could no longer stand, just to protect Aislin and her daughter, and all the other women like her.

Alban fought, backing up to the second level, hating this feeling of having to retreat. There were too many Orcs, too many of them pushing the Gondorians back. "Fall back! Fall back!" Mithrandir was calling. His white cloak was dirty; he had done his fair share of fighting.

Then they heard it. That horn, it rang out in the air. Alban knew that horn. It was Rohan, Rohan had finally come! Hope welled up in him once more, and he renewed his efforts, beating the Orcs back as best he could. It could be over soon, very soon. Just keep going, just keep fighting, he thought to himself.

Merry held on to the reins tightly with one hand as the Rohirrim charged towards the Orcs. His mind went to Pippin, and he wondered for a moment if Pip was fighting in Minas Tirith. He hoped not. He just hoped that Pip was safe somewhere, and not already hacked to pieces. As it seemed like he was going to be.

He muttered a little prayer to himself, and then he raised his sword, ready to kill as many Orcs as he could reach.

Aislin sat huddled in her room, holding onto her mother and daughter. Father, please be safe, she prayed. I cannot bear the loss of another loved one now.

How long would it take before the Orcs would get here? Surely they were coming. It did not require a soldier to see that the Gondorians were being beaten back. The armies of Mordor had already broken through into the city; they had already taken the first level. Now they would be coming up, working their way upwards. How long more would they take to get here?

She shifted suddenly, then stood up. "Mother, Liana, grab your cloaks," she ordered. "We'll move to the top. It'll be safer there." I hope.

Liana was stunned. The poor child had never seen anything like this before. No one had. Aislin's mother got up, ready to obey anything, and got out three cloaks. Aislin fastened Liana's cloak over her shoulders and ushered the other two out of the house. "Hurry, hurry, we mustn't waste time."

There was chaos outside. The Orcs had not yet come up to their level, but people from the bottom two levels were already fleeing, moving upwards, higher and higher. There were a few soldiers, helping some who had been wounded. For a moment Aislin stood in shock at the mess that was before her. And so we have fallen to this, the great land of Gondor. Then she shook herself, and pushed on with her mother and daughter, banging into the others.

"Pippin!" With a cry, Liana wrenched her hand free and ran after the small figure, going in the opposite direction from everyone else. "Pippin!"

"Liana!" Aislin screamed after her daughter, but Liana was fast disappearing from sight. "Liana, do not go that way!" But the girl did not hear. Aislin turned to her mother. "Mother, make your way up. Don't stop, keep going! I will find you once I get Liana back, do you hear? Keep going, Mother! Go!" Then she left her mother, and darted after her daughter.

Liana ran after Pippin, panting. Where is he going? He can't go there! The thought of how angry her mother would be with her crossed her mind, but she did not stop running. She had to get Pippin back, and then they could take him up to safety with them.

"Pippin! Pippin! You can't go there! Pippin! Come back, it's not safe there!"

Pippin did not hear her cries, but kept on hurrying about his way. Liana followed, dodging the running feet of others. No one saw her as she streaked down the steps after Pippin. They were both too small to be noticed in such a rush.

She ran on, following him, always afraid that she would lose sight of him. Then finally someone noticed her. Alban, his old wound bleeding, let out a gasp of shock, then ran over and picked her up. "Let me go! I must get Pippin!" she screamed, but Alban would not let go of her.

"Pippin will be all right, Liana," he told her. "He's a Guard of the Citadel, he will be able to take care of himself. Come, let's get you to safety." He began to run again, as fast as his legs could carry him, yelling for the other people to get to hurry. Liana held on to him tightly, hoping that Pippin would be all right.

In their preoccupied states of mind, neither she nor Alban saw Aislin running down, through the crowd, still in search for her daughter.

Aislin craned her neck, trying to look over the crowd. She did not see Alban and Liana, and believed that she had lost sight of her daughter. A wave of panic was rising in her. Where's Liana? She was making her way down now, to the second level. Liana was nowhere in sight. Where could she have gone? People were rushing by Aislin, heedless of her panicked calls for her child.

She began to see the Orcs, savagely chasing the retreating soldiers, and began to think of running back up. Perhaps she had missed Liana. She turned, and then stopped suddenly. She thought had heard a shriek coming from one of the houses. "Liana!" She entered the house, looking around the room. The table and chairs were turned over, and some of the plates had been broken. The house was a mess, and Aislin got cut by some of the shards of glass, but she did not care. She entered all the rooms, searching, but Liana was not to be seen. Almost blinded by panic, she moved about the house, oblivious to everything else that was happening. All that mattered was to find her daughter.

Meanwhile, the soldiers were retreating rapidly, and the Orcs were entering all the houses, intent on killing every living thing that they saw.

Aislin did not see the Orc, nor feel the blade that pierced through her body. All she saw was darkness.