A/N: Hey! As you could probably tell, I decided to put the ending first on this story, and then all of the events as they lead up to it. So, yeah. But one more thing: These are my multiple english essays, so the underlined words in the previous one were there cos they were my vocabulary. but hey... so basically im using the excuse of "it's homework!" to write fanfiction. hey, it works! so please, R&R!

Chapter Two

"My Lord! I bid you stay! Send help, but do not go yourself!" Tinuin, a servant of the king, begged. But the King shook his head.

"I have no hope to send, therefore I must go myself." Eldarion said as he fastened his sword sheath around his waist.

"But milord!" Tinuin argued. "We need you to stay here!"

"And what would you wish me to do?" Eldarion asked. "Stay seated on my throne, benign and prudent, while my men give their lives for their country?"

Tinuin bowed his head. "Nay, milord. But who will lead us if you were to fall?"

Eldarion sighed as he placed his helm upon his head. "When the great fall, the less must lead." he said simply, and with that, strode from his chambers to the main hall, with Tinuin at his heels.

As they reached the throne room, a messenger burst through the main doors to the Citadel as a flash of lightening lit up the room.

"My lord!" the messenger gasped, soaked to the bone and shivering. "Talantir and Mithrandir have returned!"

"Let them in!" Eldarion said happily. "This is indeed good news!"

The messenger bowed before leaving his lord's presence, and a moment later, two figures entered through the doors, both as wet as the messenger had been.

"Mae Govannen!" Eldarion said in greeting. The king was bilingual, and it helped him greatly in many negotiations.

"Well met indeed, my friend!" the lithe figure said. It was Talantir, an Elf out of the Northern Woodland Realm.

"Ah, Mithrandir!" Eldarion said, greeting the other with a smile. 'It has been said that you come often as a herald of woe to this City in past times such as these."

"In two ways may a man come with evil tidings. He may be the worker of evil; or he may be such as leaves well alone, and comes only to aid in times of need." the old man said. The man was clothed in white, with a white staff and white hair. He was definitely none other then The White Wizard.

"Ah, my most beloved benefactors!" Eldarion laughed. "I am very glad that you have come. I was going to go out to my men, but I imagine you would like to dry off first. You must have had to been buoyant in order to survive out there!"

Talantir laughed. "Aye, it would seem that way, would it not? But we made it here all right, though I do not know about our horses!"

Eldarion chuckled. "Those poor creatures! I do hope you took them to the stables!"

"Of course." Talantir grinned. "Though I don't think that even the stables will provide any shelter for them in this weather!"

"But enough with the greetings, Eldarion." Mithrandir said sternly. "There is work to be done, and then we may have time for merriment."

Eldarion nodded. "Do you know who is responsible for the attacks on Gondor, Mithrandir?"

"I do, and so do the two of you." the wizard said, gesturing to the Elf and the Man. The two eyed each other. "We do?" the Elf asked.

"You do indeed. You knew this person as a children...well, when Eldarion was a child, actually." the wizard added as an afterthought.

"We did?"

"Yes, and you've even read her biography once or twice since you've become king, Eldarion."

"Ah, so it's a her, is it?" Talantir said triumphantly. "...That doesn't help me at all, really...." he said with a frown.

"I believe the book was on the bibliography that your father gave you as well, Talantir." Mithrandir said, and the Elf blushed. Eldarion and Mithrandir laughed.

"Is it......?" Eldarion began, but he shook his head. Talantir's eyes widened. "No, it can't be!" The two of them turned to the wizard. "Is it Asira?"

"Indeed it is." the old man said gravely.

"Asira?" Talantir asked disbelievingly. "That bizarre little human? She ran off, all those many years ago. How could it possibly be her?"

"She has returned, and she is not the same as she was all those years ago. She has changed, I am afraid, for the worse." Mithrandir sighed. "It is because of her that I have returned from across the Sundering Seas, to aid you in this time of need."

"It's just a woman." Talantir said. "What harm could she possibly be doing?"

"Did you not see?" Eldarion asked.

"No. Mithrandir and I arrived by the back road. We did not pass through the Fields of the Pelannor, so I did not see anything." Talantir replied with a shrug.

Eldarion arched an eyebrow, and with a silent gesture, made his way to the front doors, the Elf and the Wizard right behind him. The King pushed open the doors, and made his way to the wall, ignoring the buckets upon buckets of rain pouring down on them.

"This is exactly what Asira is capable of doing, Talantir." Eldarion said with a sigh, gesturing to the field two thousand feet below them.

Talantir cautiously leaned over the edge as much as he dared to, and gasped at the sight that met his eyes.

Yrchs, thousands upon thousands of Yrchs covered the field, trying to get into the city. The few that did manage to get inside were brutally slaughtering the Men of Gondor, and bisecting them without a care.

Pulling back away from the wall, Talantir looked at the wizard and the king disbelievingly, his face pale.

".............Whoa........" The Elf said finally, after a long pause.

"Yes, I suppose that about sums it up." the King said blandly.

"But....But she used to be our friend!" Talantir said, shaking his head.

"People change, mellon-nin." Eldarion said sadly. "In this case, for the worse."

Talantir looked back down over the fields. "What chance do we have against an enemy like her?" he asked. "She lived here, so it's like handing out a brochure to all of the Yrchs and welcoming them into the City!" The Elf sighed, running a hand through his long blonde hair. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't despair." he said after a moment. "I just find it hard to believe that Asira would do such a thing."

"I thought that too when Mithrandir said who it was, Talantir." Eldarion said with a sigh. "But she has done such a thing, and we must stop her, even if it means we kill her in the end."

"But what do you suppose we do?" Talantir asked, wiping his wet hair from his face.

"Do not worry." Mithrandir said suddenly. "I have a plan..."