Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings is property of Tolkien and there are many references throughout to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I only own what you do not recognize. The character Chinky is not meant to cause offence and is named after a real horse whose name has been shortened from a Fiat Cinquecento (Chinky – Chento).

Part 4: Coming of the dragon
Chapter 32: Raken

The ground was flat and the heather gave way to open grassland as they rode hard for Isengard, the horses baring their masters with all due speed over the darkening land. Through the night they galloped on with a ball of fire as a beacon in the darkening days. Soon a new day dawned and on the horizon the stone circle of Isengard loomed, dominating the skyline.

Many of the Rohirrim had spent their lives in the shadow of the Númenórean built tower. Yet at the sight of the tower of Orthanc many gasped, as it was not as expected. In a time of old there had been trees and flowers flowing from the circle, now there was only broken stone and the iron of industry.

As they arrived at the main entrance, they were greeted by the two hobbits, Merry and Pippin, who as it seems were having a very enjoyable time eating salted pork and smoking pipe weed. It was not to Amy's taste yet she humoured them all the same.

"Amy where is Chinky?" Pippin said as he walked up to her.

"My mother fell two days past, do not speak of it again little one, for it grieves my master and lays heavy in her heart."

Amy stifled a giggle as both Merry and Pippin leaped in the air at the sound of the horse speaking to them. "Do not fear Pippin I will suffer, yet grief has run its course. Go and wait, I am to speak with Saruman."

The two hobbits ran away quickly, though the death of the horse lay heavy in their minds also.

Amy turned to Legolas and Gandalf. "Are we ready?"

"Let's just have his head and be done with it!" Gimli said from behind Damer.

"I was brought up to respect the Istari and now to find one that has betrayed us, I do not know if I will ever believe what people tell me again!" Damer said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Many things in this world are amiss; let us get this over and done with." Gandalf said urging Shadowfax into the water.

Moridin followed without a lead from Amy. Once his large hooves touched the water, she felt every muscle in his body tense.

"You cannot be scared of the water? Chinky loved splashing water and covering me in it. Do not say you are scared." Amy said in disbelief, as the horse didn't move.

"I fear nothing, yet this water is cold!" Moridin said stamping a hoof.

"If the cold is what you dislike let me warm it for you!" Amy said as she weaved flows of fire into the water, gently heating the area around her horse.

Moridin ducked his head in approval before trotting through the water. Soon they were right beneath Saruman's overhang. Gandalf called to the former wizard and the hunched over form of Saruman staggered out.

"You have no power over me Gandalf the Grey." He said, his once powerful voice now sounding pitiful and weak.

"He is no longer Gandalf the Grey, he is Gandalf the White, and you are stripped of your colour and your council Saruman." Amy said.

"And who are you child?"

"I am the one you fear, I am the one who has the power over you now, and if you knew what was best you would listen to the head of the council now." Amy said.

Saruman snorted sharply though his nose and turned to go back inside. As soon as his foot touched the ground, he bent double in pain, lancing spikes wracked his body and he realised in horror that he was frozen to the spot. Slowly he felt himself getting turned round, the pain still shooting through every inch of his body. Drawing as much courage as he could he looked down towards Gandalf, just to find the old man with confusion etched over his face. If he wasn't doing this then who was? He thought to himself as he tried to straighten up. Blood was now pouring freely from his mouth and nose as he fought not to cry out in pain, looking down again his eyes came upon the small form of a dark haired girl on a fiery mount. Their eyes met, and as they did a voice sounded in his head.

"I am the one you fear, I am the one who has the power over you now! Fear the Child of the Dragon, because this is only a taste of the pain I could put you through!" The voice disappeared as suddenly as it came, taking the pain with it. Slowly but surely he dropped his staff over the edge of the balcony and stumbled in to Orthanc and collapsed in pain.

"Well I think that went well! Come this place bores me, let us find some food!" Amy said cheerily turning round.

Gandalf snapped the dropped staff and looked accusingly at Amy. "What did you do to him?"

"I did nothing, he only got what he deserved, yet I do not think that was enough, you should have let me kill him, for that would have been the end of our troubles, as it happens I do not think that will be the last we see of him." Amy said.

"You maybe right, do not let us dwell on these things, we must eat and rest the horses then we must get back to Rohan, war is brewing and before long Gondor will need us and its king." Gandalf said throwing a meaningful look towards Aragorn, who just wearily shrugged his shoulders and nodded.

BREAK

The rest of the day passed in a peaceful manner, the hobbits as it happened had come upon a pretty impressive store, of what they called 'man food' needless to say it was sufficient enough to feed the men who had travelled with them.

Before night fell the party was on the move, with Pippin sitting before Aragorn and Merry behind Éomer. They travelled through the darkened night at a steady speed. Just before the night came to its peak Haldir called Amy away from the rest of the group.

BREAK

"Amy may I speak to you?" Haldir said.

Nodding her head and finishing her conversation with Damer she gestured Moridin over towards the blond haired elf.

"What do you want to talk about?" Amy said as casually as she could.

"I will not speak until I have word that your horse will not say a word of this to anyone." Haldir said speaking in elvish and looking over at Moridin nervously.

"If I see fit to tell someone I will, but until then do not talk to Amy when talking to me, I can understand your primitive way of talking elf, even if you do not speak in the common tongue!" Moridin said, and to Haldir's shock, in elvish.

Amy shook her head; this horse was going to get himself in trouble one day for being so cocky!

Glaring at the black horse Haldir continued. "The day when Moridin arrived you said something to him that triggered something in my mind. He said he would bare no one, be it man, elf or dwarf."

Moridin snorted.

"Then you said something that made me think, you replied that you were neither. Why did you say that?" Haldir said making sure that his voice was low enough that the other elves in the company couldn't here what they were talking about.

"You told me I was a demon, and I am pretty sure that a demon is neither a man, elf or a dwarf, yet that is not the only reason. I do not feel akin really to any of these races. I do feel closer to the elves of course, but I know for a fact that I'm not an elf. I may resemble an elf yet I am not one, this much I know." Amy said looking at the shadowy face of Haldir, trying to read his emotions.

"That is true, the reason you feel most akin to elves is because your mother was an elf, and therefore you have elven blood. Your father on the other hand was neither man, elf nor dwarf. I will tell you what blood you have." Haldir said leaning over and whispering in her ear.

Amy sat shocked for a second before grim acceptance washed over her. She was what she was and nothing could change that.

BREAK

The night grew still and the horses grew wary. Amy once again rode at the front of the column with the King and Gandalf. Legolas trotted Arod up to them and said. "I feel something is amiss, I cannot place it, a darkened shadow falls on my heart." He stopped as if pondering something then said low and clear, "it is here!"

At that moment a high-pitched scream ran through the air, a scream that no race of man could have produced. In an instant Amy increased the brightness of her beacon of flame, and in that moment the dark shadow of the Nazgûl could be seen flying low across the plains towards them.

Oblivious to everyone around her Amy stopped. She stared in fascination at the beast the wraith was mounted on. The beast had a large black body, which was kept aloft by huge leathery wings; a small intelligent head was supported on a long neck and within its face eyes stared out hauntingly at the Child of the Dragon. In that instant, like with Moridin, they connected, she could see behind the red eyes the pain that had been inflicted on it. It was just after that moment she heard bows singing and saw the deadly arrows fly towards the beast. With all her strength she threw up a shield of Spirit around the beast protecting it.

"Don't harm the beast!" She yelled to the riders. The sudden barrage of arrows stopped and she lessened the shield.

"I come for the child." A scratching voice sounded.

Amy looked at the wraith in horror, his voice sounded like it had been dragged across sandpaper, and the sound put her teeth on edge.

"My master wishes to destroy him." The wraith sounded again.

Urging Moridin to stand before the wraith she replied. "Tell your master I am no man, and if he wants me, he can come and get me!" She said as Moridin stood up on his back legs.

"You shall die now child!" It said again.

The wraith urged the beast to step forward yet the creature still remembered the connection between itself and the girl, and it could not bring itself to hurt her. Bracing itself it stood its ground, instead of charging for the girl, it swung its mighty neck round and hurled the wraith from its back.

"Fool beast! You cannot have allegiance with the child!" The wraith sounded. The wraith was now getting worried, if the child had the power over this beast, perhaps the great eye had underestimated her power.

"Those beasts were never yours to begin with, and your capturing of them was nothing other than cowardice. For that you will suffer." Amy said, and with all her strength she flung a ball of flames the wraith's way, the wraith went up in flames before turning and vanishing into the darkness. In less than a minute from the darkness the wraith screamed again, and then ceased to exist.

BREAK

Completely ignoring the riders behind her Amy walked Moridin up to the beast that stood before her. Moridin walked proudly, he did not quiver or falter, for if his master was sure the beast was safe, then he to was sure also.

The beast looked at Amy with its haunting eyes, and it seemed to sigh in relief. Using her knife she cut away the bindings holding the wraith's saddle to the creature's back. Once it was off she burnt it. The ball of flame that acted as a beacon flared up brightly in order for her to observe the creature before her properly. Then she noticed the change.

Black scales were turning red, and black leathery wings were going a golden colour, its small head became longer and small horns appeared in ridges down its now red back. Amy took a step back and jumped slightly as she and the rest of the Rohirrim heard a voice.

"Thank you my daughter,"

Amy smiled at the beast and placed a hand on its long neck.

"You're a dragon!" She said in astonishment.

"You knew what I was the moment you saw me, yet the illusion I was placed under fooled many. I had heard that the Child of the Dragon had been found, and I had yearned to find you. Now I have, I see you are worthy of your birth rite. Though I fear that my strength is waning. I must rest young daughter in order to replenish the strength that was ripped from me." The female dragon said.

"Go be at peace my friend, yet if I need your aid, will you come?" Amy said rubbing the scaly nose.

"I will come, call my name and I will fly into battle with you."

"What is your name, winged beast of the skies?" Amy said as the large leathery wings beat downwards sending a wave of air over the riders and lifting the dragon off the ground.

"Raken, my name is Raken."

And with those parting words the dragon flew off into the far distance, awaiting the call of battle.