Part Three
Edge of Doom
Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen.
Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay wither'd and strown!
Lord Byron 'Destruction of Sennache'
We advanced silently, riding close, through the dark, ominous lands that seemed a cruel mockery of the beauty of Gondor. There was the same wide expanse of plain, dominated by a many-towered city and overshadowed by mountains. Yet the plain here was not green and fertile but scorched and barren; the city did not glimmer white in the sun but was black and menacing in a place where there was no sun, and the mountains belched fire and ash, overshadowing the valley in a shroud of noxious fumes. I felt Vénea moan beside me and I reached out and squeezed her hand. "I knew this place," I whispered "I knew it when the city of Minas Ithil was only comparable to Gondor itself, when this plain was lush, and what trees lived here were tall and proud, not gnarled and twisted stumps; when the water was considered beneficial not shunned like the plague." I suppressed a groan, as Legolas rode up and continued where I left of, his blue eyes troubled and his pale brow furrowed. "It makes you realise the true power of the force we are up against, one that can devastate utterly such a place and command such horrific hosts. I fear we will not succeed unless the Halfling completes his task in time."
Then I saw it. The burning eye of flame, the red ringed pit in which all the pains and terrors of humanity are absorbed, the piercing Eye of Sauron whose malignant stare perceives the deepest darkest terrors of each soul and bring forth the seed of evil buried in everyone; my gaze was drawn, irresistibly into its depths as the malevolence of the Eye turned from its own lands to the silent army that waited at its gates.
Aragorn rode forward and roared a challenge at the brooding citadel. It remained unanswered. He called again, desperation adding extra strength to his voice "Answer me, you worms of the dark. Hear my cry, you foul slaves of Mordor. The light has come. The light has come to liberate your stinking souls from your loathsome flesh. I have come to banish evil from my realm."
The huge gates creaked open as great waves of bawling Orcs, howling with bestial hate issued from the orifice to bear us down to dust.
The battle was the bloodiest and most desperate I had ever fought. The stench of blood and fear filled my nostrils as I strove on foot, my horse having been shot down beneath me. I fired my bow 'till both sides became so intermingled that I couldn't aim straight and had to use my sword instead. Trying to keep Vénea in my gaze I moved forward, only to lose her within a sea of corpses as I tripped over and fell headlong. I struggled to my feet just in time to fit an arrow to my bow and fire it at a huge Orc whose curved scimitar was flashing a few inches from her head. I dashed forward, sword flailing to finish off the rest of her assailants and preparing a witty retort, only to find her snatched from beneath my grasp by that damned Elf. I turned away, peeved that all my effort in rescuing her had been thwarted, Legolas gaining her spoutings of undying gratitude when I did all the work. I left them to it and carried on, looking for Pippin whom I had lost some time before. I had just caught sight of him when something made me stop dead in my tracks.
The cold hand of fear gripped my heart as I heard the haunting wail of the Nazgul. With a great effort of will I managed to snap myself from the trancelike state I had been cast into and throw myself onto the ground, just in time. I felt the rushing of air over my head and then the cruel, raking claws of the foul beast as it ripped hanks of hair from my skull as it passed. A few more seconds of that stupor and I would have been dead for sure.
I remained, crouched, head bowed, alone in a sea of death, my hands massaging my aching head. I paused, sensing a new clarity to the oppressive atmosphere. Something had changed; evil had somehow loosened its tenacious grip over this place. The Orc army could also sense this change. They ceased their carnage and stood in bewildered groups, unsure what to do. I looked up, at the great, burning Eye that had been such a part of the past years of terror; yet it was no longer facing us but focused on the dark shape of Mount Doom.
As I watched, it dilated to twice its side then diminished and vanished. As of one accord, the great Orc army turned tail and ran, only to be struck by crippling tremors as the great tower of Minas Morgul collapsed in a cloud of dust. Great rifts formed in the ground and the rank city sunk into oblivion. The air was full of the crash of stone on stone, the scream of the dark forces and the hot rush of lava as the ominous, brooding shape was cleft in two. "The Hobbits! The hobbits!" Gandalf ran passed me and I reached out a hand to grasp him. "What is wrong?" I asked breathlessly.
"The Hobbits are trapped on Mount Doom, while the lava pours around them, we must be quick or they will perish!"
"There are Eagles are there not?" I enquired, "I saw them attacking those Hell Bats. By Ilúvatur, one of them saved my life!" I paused for a second as the light of understanding spread over the old wizards face. I continued, "The Eagles are strong enough to carry a female on their backs, as well as a hobbit. My proposition is that, while you call the Eagles I will find Vénea and we shall ride the Eagles to the rescue." He beamed at me and without saying a word vanished. I shot a brief glance around me; the battlefield was full of bewildered and elated bands of Elves and men, finally realising the victory that they had snatched from the jaws of defeat. Yet nowhere could I see Legolas or Vénea. I caught sight of Aragorn standing alone and ran up to him. "Where have Legolas and Vénea gone, surely they have not fallen?" I gasped anxiously
He chuckled in reply "Last I saw of that damned Elf was when he was carrying the beautiful maiden away in his arms. Not the best time or place for such activity, but when you have been celibate for six thousand years..." I looked at him, shocked and then joined in his laughter. I felt a wild sense of elation intermingled with intense disappointment but shrugged it off. This was not the time or the place for such feelings, especially as the lives of two hobbits rested in the balance. "Let's surprise them" I giggled, feeling strangely childish. "I have to find Vénea anyway." We set off in search of the elusive couple, only to find them leaning dangerously close to each other, lips almost touching. I felt jealousy twist my insides as I remarked, "Oh, you are occupied. Shall we leave you two to it? This is a rather strange place to be indulging in such activities, but as Aragorn said, 'when you have been celibate for six thousand years, it's quite understandable.'" The two of them blushed deeply and I relented somewhat. I seized her by the hand and pulled her to her feet, hurrying quickly towards where Gandalf was waiting with the two great Eagles perched either side of him, both magnificent birds with glossy feathers and long, cruel, beaks that looked as if they could easily bring down even the largest horse " What are we doing?" she solicited.
"We are saving the hobbits, now get on" I snapped as I pulled her onto the back of one of the Eagles and I climbed onto the other and settled myself on its broad, soft back. Without warning, the two beasts took off. Vénea screamed and I thought she was shocked at he sudden lift-off, until I realised she was pointing at something more down to earth "Legolas!" she shrieked. Following her trembling arm I saw that golden warrior struck down with a stray arrow through his shoulder. I felt an overpowering urge to jump of the Eagle's back and run to him, but I suppressed it and took to comforting the distraught mortal instead. "Look, he is not dead, only wounded, Aragorn is with him, he will be fine. Concentrate on your bird or you shall certainly perish." She nodded miserably and called something that I was unable to hear as the infernal bird chose to plunge at breakneck towards earth. I held on tightly as the bird seized something in its talons and set off at a slightly slower pace back the way we had come. I looked down as it turned on its side and saw grasped safely in its talons a screaming hobbit, rather on the plump side but obviously much shrunken. I breathed a deep sigh of relief as I at last dismounted and picked up the fainting Samwise from the ground. Vénea did the same with a pale and thin Fordo, who seemed to be bleeding from what was left of his tenth finger. We made our way to the centre of the field, stumbling under our burdens, to where a capacious tent had already been pitched and beds had been laid. We soon deposited our burdens and Vénea, who looked as pale, drawn and bleeding as when I first saw her, promptly fainted into Aragorn's arms.
Seeing her laid on a free pallet I made my way over to a bed in the corner where I caught the glint of gold. There Legolas lay, his shoulder bound and the bandages red with blood already. I wept freely as he opened his eyes and stared at me. Yet his gaze was blank and feverish as he groaned "Ada, Nana, help me." Suddenly his eyes became clear and he seized my hand, I winced at his vice like grip, my tears falling faster onto his face. "Look after Vénea, for I fear I am wounded unto death," he groaned. Then he relaxed his grip and I saw, grief stricken, the vacuity return to his blue-grey eyes as he leaned back his flaxen head and sunk back into oblivion.
His eyes opened at last, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Yet when I looked into their depths, I could sense a hidden presence, a darkness – an evil that hadn't been there before, fighting for supremacy. "He is here; he will not leave me alone!" Legolas screamed. Suddenly, his body contorted, limbs thrashing wildly. I leaped up, just as a thunderclap ripped the silence and I was hurled to the floor.
I found myself gazing into the frantic eyes of Aragorn, as he pulled me to my feet. Gandalf sagged beside him, wearing the same expression of anxious powerlessness. "What happened?" I demanded, but Aragorn shook his head despairingly, pointing a trembling finger towards Legolas. Legolas stood erect at the head of the bed, flexing his limbs, his face contorted into an expression of evil enjoyment. "Ah yes, what a beautiful body, so strong, so agile. It certainly makes a change to possess something graceful and resilient. Wizard, your spells are useless against the power of the Dark Lord. I have overpowered the Elf's mind and possessed his body. And now I will destroy you. You lose. Did you really think you could go against me and win? My tower has fallen but I prevail. This Elf will be my host until the final days of Middle-Earth. Know that you failed to protect him, just as you shall fail to protect all the other free beings of this land."
I heard a moan behind me, and saw Vénea sit up, rubbing her eyes and yawning, utterly oblivious of the Evil that filled the room. I edged towards her, keeping my eyes on the lithe yet malevolent form before me, who stood, rocking with manic laughter, as Gandalf hurled spells and incantations at him, trying in vain to banish the Evil.
I reached Vénea, signalling her to remain still, trying to impress on her the gravity of the situation. She stiffened as she heard the demonic laughter, the colour draining out of her face. "Legolas!" she screamed, and the creature glared towards her, brushing Gandalf aside with desultory ease. "Oh, the human maiden. This Elf undoubtedly felt something for her – he certainly put up quite a struggle when she was in question. Come let me set eyes on what I will kill." He laughed evilly. I moved in front of Vénea, trying to shield her from the Evil Eye – but the foolish mortal pushed me out the way, and stood up, trembling with rage. "Yes, I am she. And I will not stand here cowed and fearful while that thing consumes my Prince."
"Vénea, don't be stupid, sit down. Do you want to commit suicide?" I hissed, but she ignored me, stepping towards the possessed Elf. The creature that wasn't Legolas held out lithe arms in a taunting embrace. "Such foolish bravery. How like a mortal. I shall enjoy killing you I think. I shall relish your screams of agony, your begging and pleading for mercy. I shall savour the torment of that small shell of Legolas still lingering in this brain, which will writhe in anguish as he watches his body kill the woman he loves."
I sighed bitterly. The Dark Lord had overpowered Legolas, but what was worse, I had proof beyond a doubt that whatever remained of Legolas loved Vénea, not me, and that there was no chance that my passion would be returned. With a scream, I threw myself at Legolas' body, just as it raised its hands to suppress the powerless wizard. I bowled the creature over momentarily, but it sprang to its feet, and the next thing I knew I was sprawled at the other side of the tent, next to an inert Aragorn.
"Ha. Is that the best you can do Osellë? I thought you had more power than that. You cannot stop me. No mere lovesick Elf can hinder the Dark Lord. Now I will give you a chance to anticipate your imminent demise as you watch me kill this mortal."
I tried to jump up, but an invisible force fixed me to the ground. I could only gaze in horror as the creature advanced menacingly towards Vénea. She held her ground, staring at him defiantly, although I could see the fear in her eyes as she glanced briefly towards me. "You cannot kill me, Legolas will not allow it," she asserted. "And if you do overcome me, I will not give you the pleasure of listening to my pleas for mercy. I will show you that not all mortals can be bent to your will."
The creature that possessed Legolas body laughed mockingly, contorting the beautiful features into an alien and evil snarl. He raised Legolas' hand above Vénea's head and a red glow of power shone around it. "Now you die," he hissed.
I gave a sobbing gasp, shutting my eyes so that I would not see her perish. Beside me, Aragorn and Gandalf struggled to their feet and we waited, agonized and powerless, for the deathblow to fall. Nothing happened – only silence. I risked a glance, puzzled at the strange lack of activity. Vénea still stood upright, and Legolas still stood before her, arm raised, ready to strike. Yet the arm trembled and grew weaker, the red glow faded. "No! No one can defy Lord Sauron. I will destroy you all. You cannot stop me!" The thing howled in desperation, its voice cracking. Suddenly a thunderous bang split the silence followed by a lightning-flash of red light, and Legolas collapsed to the ground. "No, NO!" the thing screamed as it writhed and contorted, twisting the beautiful body into bizarre, unnatural shapes. "Hate is stronger than love. I cannot be beaten. Love cannot conquer the Lord of the Rings." The thing screamed, and a black stream of noxious smoke erupted from it's mouth, to circle around the tent and vanish in a final blaze of light.
"Love conquers all things," came a faint whisper, so weak as to be almost inaudible - Legolas' true voice.
"The Evil is banished!" cried Gandalf, and at this Vénea collapsed in a dead faint beside her beloved. With a cry of joy I sprang towards Legolas' motionless form and knelt beside him, reaching to cradle his head in my arms. I forgot completely Vénea's unconcious body, or the crippling revelation that he loved another. I was oblivious to everything but my elation at the banishing of the Evil, and the Elf lying in my arms. Disregarding all propriety, I planted a kiss on his parted lips. His beautiful blue eyes flickered open and I gazed into their depths, where inside them his soul shined, the Evil presence banished. I could have spent all eternity in rapturous contemplation of that gorgeous Elf, but a light tap on the shoulder recalled me to myself.
"Osellë" the voice of Aragorn rudely disrupted my reverie. "You cannot stare at him for ever, he needs attention." I nodded wearily, my happiness shattered, as Aragorn and I lifted him onto the bed. Vénea, who I had sorely neglected in her fainting fit, at last revived, and rose stiffly to throw herself at Legolas, covering him in tears of joy.
I felt a firm touch on my arm and Aragorn pulled me bodily from the tent. "Let's leave Vénea with her love eh?" he whispered gently, and I followed him unwillingly. Legolas was free of the darkness, but he could never be mine.