Chapter 6: Minas Ithil
As the night was turning, the elf sat down beside Janyn, who was crying. He didn't say a word at first, but instead looked into the fog, which now the city lay in.
'You love Aragorn?' Legolas inquired. Janyn's broke down into more tears. Legolas put his arm around her and held her close to him. 'I'm sorry for what I said.' She buried her head in his chest and for a while they sat.
'We got off on the wrong foot.' Legolas said. 'I mean, with my hitting on you, then yelling at you— ' Janyn started to laugh.
'All I wanted was a friend.' She kissed Legolas on the cheek.
He smiled, 'I can do that.'
They walked back to the tower together, and from the door Legolas left her alone to talk to Aragorn.
She walked in the shadows and mouthed what she was going to say to him. The sun's rays beamed across the room and Aragorn sat quietly beneath one of the windows. Janyn bowed her head slightly and said.
'My lord, I–.' She stopped. She forgot everything she wanted to say and just stood blankly at him.
'I love Arwen.' He said. 'My loyalties lie with her.'
'And where does she lie?' Janyn said. She didn't mean to be so cruel, but she was no good with these kinds of situations. Aragorn stood no words came from his perfectly square jaw. Quickly she said, 'I am sorry. I did not mean it.'
Then she saw him cry. Obviously she has had little social interaction in her life, and wasn't sure of the precise words to say. She sat down beside him.
'Love.' She said. 'Love? What is it? I don't know, but I want it. You went into exile because you loved Arwen. You saved this world to love her. You disobeyed her father, and your friend for her. You betrayed your heart to be with her when you know it would kill her. You deceived your destiny and cheated your fate...' Janyn stopped. 'Why can't I have that? I've never loved, I've never complained, and I've never lived. But I want to now, and I can't have it! I'm sorry this happened. I'm sorry for what I've done. I need to fix it.'
'Are you finished?' He said nastily. Janyn lowered her head. 'I've heard enough of your self-pity. I'm tired of trying to help you! You've got to help yourself first! Dwelling on your miserable past isn't going to save the future.'
'I'm sorry.'
'Don't be. It's not your fault.' He said in a mock-sarcasm voice. 'I mean, after all, you don't have any feelings, or emotions and as far as I'm concerned you don't have a heart.'
Janyn was furious. What should she to say to defend herself? If she said anything he's just contradict it. 'You listen to me!' She yelled. She didn't really know what she was going to say. But she had to think of something quick. 'I am trying to solve my mistakes. And I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you, but this problem isn't just mine. And I never said I didn't have emotions, I said I wasn't allowed to display them.'
'And that just makes a world of difference.' Aragorn interrupted, but she ignored him.
'I need you to help me. Then everything can go back to the way it was. Except...' she blushed, 'you'll still be young. You'll have a second life. So will you help me or not?'
Aragorn looked at the floor. He nodded and, avoiding eye contact, walked silently out of the room.
By morning Janyn had collected food and essential supplies for their travels. She had not seen Aragorn since their spat the previous night. Legolas entered the room.
'Janyn.' He smiled.
'How is he?'
'Aragorn's been through worse.'
Janyn nodded.
'I just want to say goodbye and good luck.' Legolas opened his arms.
'Thank you.' Janyn hugged him. 'Thank you so much.'
'What will happen if you succeed?'
'Everything will go back to normal, before this mess happened.'
'And you?'
'If my father takes me back, I'll go back to my old life.' Janyn tried not to cry.
'If he doesn't?'
'I'll be banished from Ithilyn. I don't know where I'll go.'
Legolas hugged her again, this time kissing her on the cheek. 'Aragorn's not as mad at you as you think. Thinks will work.' He smiled mischievously. 'Thinks will work, Engel'
An hour later Janyn and Aragorn left Osgiliath and were two days from Minas Ithil. As they entered the still barren land, their mouths were as silent as the birds. The days were hot and nights cold, as they came closer to the gate of Mordor, to Minas Morgul. Occasionally they stopped for rest and food. But they only spoke in monotonous sentences and avoided all eye contact.
At one point Janyn tried to have a conversation with him, but it had failed miserably. She said, 'Tell me, why did you choose a life of exile.'
But he only replied. 'Arwen.'
Janyn stopped trying.
In the dark of the second night they had reached the towering gate. It was half open. Sleeping bodies of Men lay still across the land. Aragorn smiled and nodded proudly at Janyn. She felt a stray breeze of warmth float over her and followed him.
They traveled deep into Mordor, until they found themselves standing perpendicular to the dark ancient tower of torture. Aragorn's eyes were wide. He had seen many great things, and this was definitely among the greatest, and most terrible. Janyn was the first to move forward, past the intimidating gargoyle gate. Aragorn surreptitiously followed, making sure his footsteps were silent. He was scared.
Janyn stood wavering in front of a large cast iron door. Below her feet were terrible prints of horse hooves. But these were three times larger than any horse she had ever seen. She stared at them curiously.
'Nazgul.' Aragorn said. 'They had giant black horses.' Janyn nodded half in a trance.
It took both Janyn and Aragorn to pull open the heavy door. Their footsteps echoed through the hall on the other side. It was dark; the walls were engraved with horrors unknown that were carefully carved into the stone. The floor was smooth however. They reached the end of the hall when the door slammed shut. Agagorn jumped turned to face the door.
'Who's there?' He called. No reply. 'Answer me! Who's there?'
They could hear heavy breathing, getting louder and closer. Aragorn stood in front of Janyn, sword unsheathed in his right hand. His left arm was outstretched across her for protection. Suddenly there was silence. Janyn felt a cold chill down her back. It was close, it was here, and it was behind her.
As the night was turning, the elf sat down beside Janyn, who was crying. He didn't say a word at first, but instead looked into the fog, which now the city lay in.
'You love Aragorn?' Legolas inquired. Janyn's broke down into more tears. Legolas put his arm around her and held her close to him. 'I'm sorry for what I said.' She buried her head in his chest and for a while they sat.
'We got off on the wrong foot.' Legolas said. 'I mean, with my hitting on you, then yelling at you— ' Janyn started to laugh.
'All I wanted was a friend.' She kissed Legolas on the cheek.
He smiled, 'I can do that.'
They walked back to the tower together, and from the door Legolas left her alone to talk to Aragorn.
She walked in the shadows and mouthed what she was going to say to him. The sun's rays beamed across the room and Aragorn sat quietly beneath one of the windows. Janyn bowed her head slightly and said.
'My lord, I–.' She stopped. She forgot everything she wanted to say and just stood blankly at him.
'I love Arwen.' He said. 'My loyalties lie with her.'
'And where does she lie?' Janyn said. She didn't mean to be so cruel, but she was no good with these kinds of situations. Aragorn stood no words came from his perfectly square jaw. Quickly she said, 'I am sorry. I did not mean it.'
Then she saw him cry. Obviously she has had little social interaction in her life, and wasn't sure of the precise words to say. She sat down beside him.
'Love.' She said. 'Love? What is it? I don't know, but I want it. You went into exile because you loved Arwen. You saved this world to love her. You disobeyed her father, and your friend for her. You betrayed your heart to be with her when you know it would kill her. You deceived your destiny and cheated your fate...' Janyn stopped. 'Why can't I have that? I've never loved, I've never complained, and I've never lived. But I want to now, and I can't have it! I'm sorry this happened. I'm sorry for what I've done. I need to fix it.'
'Are you finished?' He said nastily. Janyn lowered her head. 'I've heard enough of your self-pity. I'm tired of trying to help you! You've got to help yourself first! Dwelling on your miserable past isn't going to save the future.'
'I'm sorry.'
'Don't be. It's not your fault.' He said in a mock-sarcasm voice. 'I mean, after all, you don't have any feelings, or emotions and as far as I'm concerned you don't have a heart.'
Janyn was furious. What should she to say to defend herself? If she said anything he's just contradict it. 'You listen to me!' She yelled. She didn't really know what she was going to say. But she had to think of something quick. 'I am trying to solve my mistakes. And I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you, but this problem isn't just mine. And I never said I didn't have emotions, I said I wasn't allowed to display them.'
'And that just makes a world of difference.' Aragorn interrupted, but she ignored him.
'I need you to help me. Then everything can go back to the way it was. Except...' she blushed, 'you'll still be young. You'll have a second life. So will you help me or not?'
Aragorn looked at the floor. He nodded and, avoiding eye contact, walked silently out of the room.
By morning Janyn had collected food and essential supplies for their travels. She had not seen Aragorn since their spat the previous night. Legolas entered the room.
'Janyn.' He smiled.
'How is he?'
'Aragorn's been through worse.'
Janyn nodded.
'I just want to say goodbye and good luck.' Legolas opened his arms.
'Thank you.' Janyn hugged him. 'Thank you so much.'
'What will happen if you succeed?'
'Everything will go back to normal, before this mess happened.'
'And you?'
'If my father takes me back, I'll go back to my old life.' Janyn tried not to cry.
'If he doesn't?'
'I'll be banished from Ithilyn. I don't know where I'll go.'
Legolas hugged her again, this time kissing her on the cheek. 'Aragorn's not as mad at you as you think. Thinks will work.' He smiled mischievously. 'Thinks will work, Engel'
An hour later Janyn and Aragorn left Osgiliath and were two days from Minas Ithil. As they entered the still barren land, their mouths were as silent as the birds. The days were hot and nights cold, as they came closer to the gate of Mordor, to Minas Morgul. Occasionally they stopped for rest and food. But they only spoke in monotonous sentences and avoided all eye contact.
At one point Janyn tried to have a conversation with him, but it had failed miserably. She said, 'Tell me, why did you choose a life of exile.'
But he only replied. 'Arwen.'
Janyn stopped trying.
In the dark of the second night they had reached the towering gate. It was half open. Sleeping bodies of Men lay still across the land. Aragorn smiled and nodded proudly at Janyn. She felt a stray breeze of warmth float over her and followed him.
They traveled deep into Mordor, until they found themselves standing perpendicular to the dark ancient tower of torture. Aragorn's eyes were wide. He had seen many great things, and this was definitely among the greatest, and most terrible. Janyn was the first to move forward, past the intimidating gargoyle gate. Aragorn surreptitiously followed, making sure his footsteps were silent. He was scared.
Janyn stood wavering in front of a large cast iron door. Below her feet were terrible prints of horse hooves. But these were three times larger than any horse she had ever seen. She stared at them curiously.
'Nazgul.' Aragorn said. 'They had giant black horses.' Janyn nodded half in a trance.
It took both Janyn and Aragorn to pull open the heavy door. Their footsteps echoed through the hall on the other side. It was dark; the walls were engraved with horrors unknown that were carefully carved into the stone. The floor was smooth however. They reached the end of the hall when the door slammed shut. Agagorn jumped turned to face the door.
'Who's there?' He called. No reply. 'Answer me! Who's there?'
They could hear heavy breathing, getting louder and closer. Aragorn stood in front of Janyn, sword unsheathed in his right hand. His left arm was outstretched across her for protection. Suddenly there was silence. Janyn felt a cold chill down her back. It was close, it was here, and it was behind her.