--I don't any of these characters except Kaylen and her companions (horse and falcon). And yes, for you traditionalists, I do know that Asfaloth actually should be Glorfindel's horse. However, I'm basing this mostly on the movie so that it isn't obscenely long, so cut me some slack...please?
Also, to "falling down"'s review, I have some comments.
Thank you for pointing out that Imrahil was a name already from the books. I had completely forgotten. The horse's name is now Gilgwath. My apologies for perhaps offending you before. Also, thank you for reminding me to put a warning in this story. Kaylen is, in fact, a Mary Sue, but you shall see in future chapters (Chapter Four, for example) that she is far from overly perfect. And no, this isn't a Legomance (thankfully). Thanks for reviewing. Some of your suggestions were very helpful.
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Chapter Three
"Elessar! Nazgul sangan ie' Amon Sul!"
She cried out the alarm as she ran as fast as she had on the day that she was born away from her father. If the Ringwraiths beat her to the tower, they would not win by much. She found the back entrance and sprang up the steps, unsheathing her sword and a dagger as she reached the top. She stopped at the top quickly, only to see five of the nine Black Riders standing in a battle formation. One of them stepped closer to a space in front of a large boulder. Although the elvish ranger could not see precisely what was in front of them (she always just saw a dark shape when the Ring was worn), she could guess easily. Frodo, fool that he was, must have put the Ring on once again, in hopes that he would be able to escape.
At that very moment, Aragorn was leaping up the steps, and when he reached where Kaylen stood, the two let out a battle cry, as if one voice, and charged. Aragorn had a torch with him, and after just seconds, had lit one of the Nazgul on fire, sending them screaming from the tower. Kaylen immediately picked up her own torch, which the hobbits had picked up and taken with them. It had gone out, but this was soon remedied when Aragorn made a swipe at another Nazgul. She raised her torch just enough for the flames to be passed onto it, and then began fighting again. After a few minutes, they had lit the last four on fire, and watched them rush away screeching. After a small moment of triumph, they rushed to the now very visible and injured Frodo Baggins, who was writhing in pain from what appeared to be a shoulder wound from a dagger. Aragorn picked up the bloodstained dagger that lay next to the hobbit, and realized what it was. He dropped it, as if disgusted with it.
"He's been stabbed by a Morgul Blade. This wound is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine."
With this, Aragorn looked to Kaylen.
"Can you save this halfling?"
She shook her head slightly.
"With the supplies I have, I may be able to keep him alive for two, perhaps three days. However, I cannot heal him completely until we reach Rivendell."
As Aragorn lifted Frodo and the entire group began to run down the stairs and across the landscape, Sam spoke up.
"But we're six days from Rivendell. He'll never make it!"
There was not response to this. Only attempts at keeping Frodo from falling faster.
Far later that night, they stopped under the frozen image of the trolls that Bilbo Baggins encountered, and lay Frodo down. Kaylen placed her hands over Frodo's wound and began to chant as Aragorn took Sam aside.
"Do you know the athelas plant?"
Sam looked confused. "Athelas?"
"Kingsfoil."
"Ah, Kingsfoil. It's a weed!"
Aragorn turned his head back to Frodo.
"It may help to slow the poison. Hurry!"
Kaylen continued to chant an incantation, attempting to bring Frodo up from the Shadow that his mind and soul was sinking slowly into.
"Ten' ooamin! Entul a' i'me'a! Rom tuulo' i'daer!"
After a short while, Sam returned empty-handed, and later Aragorn returned, those his hands were far from empty. He had indeed found the athelas plant, and with it he had found Kaylen's sister, she whom Gkaian Feaelen advised. Arwen Undomiel. As Kaylen chanted, Aragorn chewed the athelas leaves, and placed the paste-like material from his mouth onto Frodo's wounds. Arwen spoke lightly, her voice as a calm spring breeze floating over the earth below.
"He is fading. We must get him to the realm of my father."
With this, Arwen's horse, Asfaloth, came into view, his stunning white coat almost shimmering through the trees. Gilgwath was to the left of him, and farther behind. When Kaylen had finished her chant, and taken herself away from Frodo, Aragorn lifted the hobbit onto the front of Asfaloth's saddle, and Arwen continued to speak.
"There are five wraiths behind you. Where the other four are I do not know."
At this time, Aragorn and Arwen began an argument in elvish over who would ride with Frodo on Asfaloth and bear him away to Rivendell. Kaylen paid them little attention, as she strode behind Asfaloth to Gilgwath, and untethered him. The two finally stopped arguing shortly after Kaylen had mounted the great black beast, and as Arwen mounted Asfaloth, both she and Aragorn looked oddly at the elf.
"For what reason do you mount, Feaelen?"
Kaylen's reply came swiftly, as if she wasn't even thinking about it.
"I am riding with you."
"No, it is far too dangerous."
"Too dangerous, you say?" Kaylen seemed to roll the thought around in her head. "Would you still think it dangerous for me to ride with you when you are being pursued by the Nine and have no hands free to defend with? You shall carry the halfling to Imaldris, and I shall come to make sure that you arrive there unharmed."
There was silence then, and after that, the nodding of two heads. It seemed that she did not have to argue this any more, and she was glad of it. Both she and Arwen were now mounted on their steeds, and Kaylen turned to see Aragorn placing his hand over Arwen's.
"Ride hard. Don't look back." Were his last words to the two, before elvish commands were whispered to both steeds' ears, and they shot off, leaving only dust clouds in their remembrance.
And so they rode, with Arwen in the front, and Kaylen behind, sword drawn. If the Nazgul should approach, the Halfling and the Evenstar would both be protected by centuries of weapons training and experience in battle. They would not be harmed.
The sun had risen well into the sky when the first screech was heard, followed by the drumming sound of horses' hooves hitting the ground. As their rhythm became louder, Arwen urged Asfaloth on, and Kaylen prepared herself for battle. They all appeared behind the two riders, all nine, and with a series of kicks and then groans of pain from their beasts, the Black Riders began to gain on them. Kaylen realized that Asfaloth could not outrun these demons when so burdened, and she urged Gilgwath up until she was alongside Arwen.
"My lady, you know that Asfaloth cannot fly so fast when burdened with extra weight. Let me bear the Halfling away on Gilgwath, and then, with the full speed of your blessed beast, you may meet me at the opposite side of our beloved Bruinen."
Once again, there was a nod, and the transfer was quickly made. When the sickened hobbit, who was now letting out high pitched groans and was as unhealthy-looking as the Nazgul's tortured steeds, was securely seated in front of her, Kaylen yelled the command to her horse.
"Fly, Gilgwath! Bury these demons in your dust!"
With that, the steed's hooves beat the ground faster and faster, until to untrained eyes the world around would have seemed but a blur of color. Asfaloth, now free of extra weight, too increased in speed, though Gilgwath was far ahead of them. Three turns were made, then a jump over a log, and soon, the sound of flowing water could be heard. The Ford was not far now, and with every beat of the giant black steed's hooves, the hobbit was carried farther and farther away from the hand of evil. At long last, they came upon the Ford of Bruinen, and quickly crossed it. Kaylen turned her steed to face the side that Arwen and the Nazgul would approach from, and waited. Ten seconds turned into fifteen, and after twenty seconds she became worried. Had Gilgwath truly fled that fast, or had something happened to her sister? Twenty turned into thirty, and finally, she spotted her sister, who was riding no more than twenty feet in front of a black mass, which became the Nine Ringwraiths. However, Arwen reached her kinswoman's side of the river, and the Nazgul, for a moment paused.
There was the sound of nine swords being drawn, and then a whispering voice came from the depths of one of the dark hoods.
"Give us the halfling, she-elves."
Arwen's response to this was sudden, as she drew Hadafang, her own blade. Her voice was cold as ice, and as sharp as the blade she held.
"If you want him, come and claim him!"
As the Nazgul began to meet her challenge, starting to cross into the Ford's waters, white waves began to rise from the river. This would not have shocked the two elves, but the waves took the form of great white steeds, crashing down upon the servants of Sauron, unhorsing them and sending them down the river, as if the waters were a cure, sweeping away a dreaded plague. It was good to know that Elrond still kept these waters guarded (though by what, none but him could truly say).
However, the time for admiration of Elrond was not now, which was made clear as the hobbit that sat before Kaylen made a high-pitched sound of suffering, and began to slump forward in the saddle. Arwen immediately dismounted, and brought the hobbit softly to the ground. Kaylen dismounted after, knelt down, and once again raised the poor suffering halfling as far out of Shadow as she could. The two then remounted, with the hobbit once again in the front of Gilgwath's saddle, and rode off, as fast as the two steeds' hooves could carry them to the elven Realm of Rivendell.
They were running out of time.
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Well, this chapter picks up a bit, doesn't it? And I guaruntee you, there shall be actual long, drawn out battle scenes soon. If you could please review, and give me some suggestions, I would be most appreciative.
