An- Hey all! Well, told you this chapter would be out soon! And I didn't lie! Well, I'll shut up so y'all can read! Enjoy!

Chapter 43

The picture of what Mordor should look like was in Erin's head as she, holding Elijah tightly in her arms and Sam standing beside her and they stood looking at the vast, barren land below them.

It looks like I always imagined hell would look like, Erin thought, holding tighter to her child.

The land was completely barren; no tree grew out from the cracked and dry soil. It was a wasteland…somewhere no good soul could ever survive.

My God, Erin thought suddenly the train of thought hitting her like a brick, there really is no chance of us getting out of here alive.

Sam looked up and read her expression. What her face reflected was what he felt deep in her own heart. He still held out great hope that they would make it out of here alive, but he still knew the chances grew smaller every moment…

" Maybe you should…wait here," Sam started to suggest, but Erin cut him off.

" No," Erin spoke, dispelling her fear and trying to be brave, " I started this and I plan to end it. I made the choice to come this far. If Frodo…if we can't save Frodo, we'll have to destroy the ring, and I won't let you try to do it alone,"

Sam felt gratitude unimaginable towards her. Going through this hell alone would be unbearable, especially if they were indeed too late to save Frodo from the horrid orcs.

" Well come on then…We haven't time to waste!"

They marched down the slope and into Mordor. The very air of this land was stale, and Erin gagged upon the taste it left in her mouth. Little Elijah, who had lain quietly in his mother's arms looking around him, squirmed and started to give small cries. Even though he could sense that it was no place that they should be.

" It's okay hunny," Erin spoke gently, rocking the baby back and fourth in her arms, " I won't let anything happen to you. Mommy won't let anything happen to you,"

The baby continued to cry and stir restlessly.

" We can't have a screaming baby going through Mordor," Sam told her softly.

" I know! I know!" Erin cried, feeling tears coming to her eyes. She couldn't go back now and it wasn't like she could just drop Elijah off at a babysitter!

" Please be quiet…" Erin whispered to her son, praying to God to keep him quiet.

Sam felt horrible, knowing the situation Erin was in. She wouldn't leave and there was no way she would leave her son.

" Come on Erin," he spoke softly, " try to calm him as we walk,"

With a few tears in her eyes, Erin continued to walk beside Sam. She started singing an old lullaby her own mother used to sing to her, softly, trying to calm her baby.

After awhile, the baby did stop crying, but did not stop fidgeting. The feel of this place wasn't right…even the baby knew this.

" Oh my God…" Erin spoke, staring up at the large tower in front of her. In her desperation to quiet down her child, she had lost track of where they were going, " Is that where…is that where Frodo is?"

" Yes," Sam spoke, " you stay here, hide somewhere, keep the baby quiet and wait for me to return. I'll come back with Frodo if he's still alive. Don't move!"

Sam left with that, and after a few minutes she heard the sounds of battle. Her heart leapt up in her throat and she prayed to God that Elijah wouldn't start crying again. By some miracle, he didn't.

It felt as though Erin sat there for an eternity…and then finally, Sam and Frodo's voices penetrated the air.

" Erin!" Frodo cried, seeing her and his eyes lighting up.

" Oh Frodo! You're alive!"

She rushed towards him and wrapped an arm around him in a tight embrace.

" I'm so sorry Erin, I'm so sorry for everything!" Frodo cried, hugging her tightly and then kissing Elijah on the forehead.

" It's okay…it's all okay now," Erin whispered, tears coming to her eyes.

" I really don't mean to break this up," Sam spoke softly, " but we should really go…we don't know when orcs will show up,"

" You're right, let's go…let's try to finish this as fast as we can,"

They continued to walk across the plains of Mordor. They walked in silence, Frodo holding Elijah in his arms, smiling down at the child minutes ago he thought he would never see again.

Suddenly, Sam, who walked in front, stopped moving and gazed out in front of him with awe filled eyes. Erin and Frodo stared down after him, awe in their own eyes.

Now they could see both the tower of Sauron himself and the huge, black Mount Doom.

" Oh my…" Erin whispered to herself.

" We did it Frodo, Erin, we finally made it to Mordor," Sam spoke from beside them.

Now, Frodo realized something else. In between their position and Mount Doom, there was the encampment of thousands of Orcs.

" There's so many…" Frodo's voice trailed off, " we'll never get through!"

Erin's heart sank…they had come all this way, and for nothing! They would never get through there unseen!

" It's the eye…his eye!" Frodo said suddenly, his eyes wide with fear as he looked up at the top of the tower.

Erin looked up too, backing up a step as she saw the large, fiery eye's vision moving across the land where the Orc camps were.

" We have to go," Sam spoke, breaking the feared silence that had settled between them, " we have to go down there,"

Without any words, they began their descent into certain death.

An- well, there's another chapter! I don't know how long it will take before the next one gets up, because I have to wait for certain people to send me parts for it. But I swear to the gods that it won't take as long as the chapter before this one! Just incase we don't get a chance to put it up, happy holidays everyone! No matter what you celebrate, I hope it brings you happiness and all that good stuff! Happy holidays from Niori, Erin, Jane and Carla!