The Stranger in Middle Earth

I do not own the rights to Lord of the Rings

Chapter Eighteen

Mystery and Victory

Darkness surrounded me and all I could feel was the pure, freezing cold. I was trapped in darkness. Time didn't pass and I could feel nothing but the numbing pain of cold. Images flashed in front of my eyes but I could only just make them out. I saw my family looking sad. I saw my friends mourning. I saw Sunniva. Sadness was spread across her face as she sat alone in her house. After the flashes of images I saw only darkness as if I was trapped in the middle of a long, dark night or in a dungeon.

Then it ended. The cold left me. I couldn't feel anything but the cold was gone. The darkness retreated from me and I could rest in comfort. I felt like I was at peace at last.

My eyes slowly creaked open and I had to shut them as the light blinded me. I turned over onto my side and then opened my eyes again. This time I could see clearly. I could see white walls of stone. I was in a bed with white sheets and I wore a white night shirt. I slowly sat up and looked around me. I was in a small room with wide arched windows letting in a lot of sunlight, a wardrobe was in a corner next a desk and a table with a few chairs scattered around the room. I quickly saw that one of the chairs was occupied.

'You're awake,' the Healer sitting in the chair said as he looked at me. 'I'll alert your uncle.'

With that the Healer ran out of the room leaving me more than a little confused. As I looked around the room my eyes came to my bedside table and a sheet of folded paper sealed with wax sitting on it. Curiously I picked it up and inspected it, seeing that written on it was my name. It was for me. I broke the wax and opened the letter to read its contents.

John

I was very happy to get your letter. I hope that you will get this letter. I want you to know that after you left I have thought about you so much and I do miss you. There is something that I wanted to tell you in this letter. What you said to me the night before you left stayed with me. I prayed to your God the next night. I don't know if I did it right or wrong. If you write back to me about anything I need to do I would be grateful.

I miss you very much John and I want to see you again soon. Please write back if you can.

Sunniva

I re read the letter a few times as I let its contents sink in. At first I was surprised by her revelation that she prayed to God. But then I paid more attention to the other parts of the letter.

She said she was thinking about me.

She is your friend. What were you expecting? A voice in my head said to me.

'Good God,' I said to myself. 'Why can't life be simple?'

The door of my room opened and my uncle walked in. When he saw me a smile spread across his face and walked up to me quickly. He was still using a walking stick but he wasn't leaning on it so heavily. He sat down in the chair next to my bed.

'Thank God you're alright John,' he happily declared. 'You gave me a heart attack when you arrived.'

'Am I in Minas Tirith?' I asked him.

'The Houses of Healing,' he clarified. 'Gandalf brought you in yesterday. He flew you here on a giant eagle of all things with a pair of Hobbits.'

'What happened to me? All I can remember is darkness.'

'Black Breath,' he answered me. 'According to Gandalf it is an aura of dark magic which the Wraiths can summon to put someone into a nightmare filled coma. It's the same plague which attacked Lady Eowyn. You're lucky to be alive right now if it wasn't for Aragorn healing you with some sort of herb he had brought with him.'

'Thank God for King Aragorn,' I said as the memories of my battle with the Wraith came back to me. 'We won the battle,' I distantly commented.'

'The war,' my uncle corrected me. 'We won the war.'

'So it's peace at last.'

'Yes it is,' he said and then he saw the letter in my hands. 'What's that?'

'Just a letter from a friend,' I answered.

'The girl you kissed in a drunken stupor?'

'Did everyone in the Golden Hall see that?'

'At least half. I won't pry on your private life John but just be respectable. I wish I could talk longer but I was in a meeting with a few of the city officials when you woke up. I'll see you as soon as I can. Feel free to walk around the Houses. The Gardens here are extraordinary.'

'I'll have a look at them,' I said as my uncle stood up from his chair. 'Do you know where my sword is?'

'In the wardrobe,' he answered. 'Your armour and your clothes are in there as well.'

'Thank you uncle.'

When he left I pushed myself out of bed and nearly fell over but I managed to walk to the wardrobe. Inside it I found my armour in a sack, Alaric leaning against the corner of the wardrobe and my clothes, along with some which weren't mine. I picked up Alaric, still in its scabbard, and I gripped the handle. Thinking back to the battle I pulled the sword from the scabbard and looked at the blade. It was scratched and contact marls covered the edges. I remembered the glow it made when I battled the Wraith and at that moment it was an more than a weapon but now it looked like a normal sword, like it always had been.

'Did I imagine it?' I asked myself.

That question didn't leave me for days afterwards. A week after the day of battle I was sitting in the Tower of Ecthelion next to my uncle after a meeting discussing the progress of removing rubble from the city. It would take years to completely repair the city. The city officials had just left while I and my uncle took a while to gather all of my uncle's notes.

'It's hard work running this city,' my uncle commented.

'But rewarding I think. When will Captain Faramir be fully recovered?'

'His wound was infected but he will be able to leave by tomorrow. Did you speak with him in the Houses of Healing?'

'For a little but not much. He praised your leadership though.'

'He did?'

'He did. The words he used included courageous and heroic.'

'He overstates my importance John. The men of Gondor are by far one of the finest fighting forces I have ever seen. All I did was organize them.'

'And created the hand-cannon.'

'I did consider Greek Fire but we didn't have enough pitch.'

'Where did you learn how to make all of this?'

'My castle had a library which you and Rickard avoided at all cost.'

We both smiled a little and chuckled.

'Uncle, might I ask why you agreed to govern this city while Aragorn was away?'

'It was right,' he answered.

'There has to be more than that. You've already given up so much for this country. Your risked your life, almost died, lost your arm. Why did you agree?'

My uncle silently looked at the table in front of him, studying the woodwork for a moment and then looked at me.

'Guilt.'

'Guilt?'

'In the siege Gondor lost one thousand nine hundred men. Seven hundred of them were conscripts. I ordered those men to fight and when I took command of this city every one of those men became my responsibility. You see? By doing all I can to help this city I am doing all I can to make sure those men didn't die for nothing.'

'But uncle, no one will ever blame you for those lives lost. I overheard a few soldiers earlier calling you a hero. One wants to see a statue of you built.'

'I never wanted to be a hero John. No one should. Just try to be a good man and history will decide what you are.'

'If that's what you think then fine. Just remember that those soldiers out there look to you as a hero.'

The door was then pushed open by one of the Citadel Guards.

'My Lord,' the Guard said and bowed to my uncle.

'What is it?' he asked him.

'The army is approaching the city. The Host of the West is returning.'

'How long until they get here?'

'Three hours sir.'

My uncle looked at me and then at the Guard.

'Alert the city that the army is returning to us. Inform the city residents that the Triumph is about to begin. John, you know your place.'

'I understand,' I answered and then stood up.

Over two hours later I rode out of the city on a horse I had borrowed from the stables. The Gates of the city, or at least what was left of them, had been removed and added to a small hill of rubble outside of the city walls. Men had been working hard to remove the rubble from the city and salvage anything that could be saved. Not far away, crossing Pelannor Fields, was the army. The banners of Rohan and Gondor standing tall and proud over the army. It didn't take long for my eyes to find the Banner of the Order of English Knights. The banner wasn't too far from the front of the army which was marching in column. I commanded my horse to hurry towards the army. I reached them and the army came to a stop.

'Majesties,' I said with a bow to Eomer and Aragorn.

'John,' Aragorn said and smiled, 'I'm glad to see you have recovered. How are you feeling?'

'Very well thank you. My uncle asked me to greet you on his behalf.'

'Why? Is there something wrong?'

'Not at all your Majesty,' I answered him. 'He's just finishing off some work.'

'I thought Faramir would have recovered by now.'

'The wound was infected but he's well on the way to recovery.'

'What about Frodo and Sam?' asked Pippin, who I didn't realize was riding with Aragorn.

'They'll both be fine,' I told him. 'Sam's awake but Frodo is still asleep but on the way to recovery.'

Relief spread across Pippin and Merry's faces and I smiled at their relief.

'JOHN!'

Two riders broke rank from the army and galloped towards me. My cousins. Rickard reached me first and hugged me, almost falling off his horse in the process. Markus kept more dignified and instead decided to pat me on my back but a smile was plastered onto his face.

'I'm sorry I couldn't help in the fight against the Wraith,' Rickard quickly told me. 'I was going to but those vile beasts attacked me and I was pulled away and...'

'Rickard I'm fine,' I told him. 'The point is we won.'

'I told him you'd say that,' Markus told me.

'Let's get to the city,' Aragorn said to us.

'Of course your Majesty.

I joined my cousins in the column with the rest of the knights. Some of them said hello to me and were glad I was still alive. Seven knights had been killed in the battle but the rest were glad to be alive. As we approached the space once occupied by the Gates Markus noticed a tiny smile on my face.

'What has uncle planned?' he whispered to me.

'Whatever do you mean?' I asked him, trying to stifle a laugh.

'I'll try to enjoy the surprise, whatever it may be.'

We rode into the courtyard where fifty Gondorian soldiers waited for us. Twenty five stood on each side and each one stood to attention when Aragorn rode past them. Aragorn nodded as a return gesture and then we turned onto the main road. There was waiting the real surprise. The entire population of the city was lined up on the sides of the road cheering the army. Waiting just to the side of the road on his horse was my uncle. He was riding well in spite of his missing arm. With a small smile on his face he commanded his horse to trot towards Aragorn.

'Your Majesty,' he said and bowed his head. 'I have taken the liberty of organising a victory parade for your return. I hope you do not mind.'

'Not at all James,' Aragorn replied and laughed a little at the surprise.

The army moved through the city greeted by falling clouds of confetti and rejoicing cheers. The people threw flowers onto the road in front of the army and many of the soldiers waved at the people. I had never seen so many rejoice at one time. I also saw something else. When Aragorn passed them they bowed to him. They embraced him as their king.

'Why do I feel like it's the good life from now on?' Rickard asked us.

'Because of the cheering and general good mood perhaps?' Markus suggested.

'Nah,' Jason said as he entered our conversation. 'It's all the ale we'll be downing tonight!'

'I'll drink twice as much as you,' Rickard declared and that reminded me of something.

'Who won our kill contest?' I asked them.

'About that,' Rickard began as he, Markus, Jason, Gimli and Legolas shared looks, 'we agreed on the way back that, since you killed that Wraith, you win this round.'

'Thanks,' I said to them and they laughed. 'Although I'm not sure it was me.'

'What do you mean?' asked Jason.

'I'll explain later,' I told them. 'The point is we won the war. Rickard's right. It's the good life from now on.'

'Here here,' Markus agreed.

'All we need is a couple of fine ladies each and it's all well,' Jason declared and we laughed at what he said while I saw Father Harold sigh into his hand out of the corner of my eye.

...

Later that night I sat with my cousins and my uncle in one of the surviving taverns in Minas Tirith. We were sat around a wooden table waiting for the waitress to bring us our drinks.

'Where do we go next?' I asked my uncle.

'Erebor,' he answered. 'Eventually anyway.'

'What do we do in the meantime?' asked Markus.

'We wait in Minas Tirith,' my uncle told us. 'We will leave for Erebor after Aragorn's coronation in May. Until then we work on establishing our order of knights. We'll start at the council meeting tomorrow morning.'

The waitress then arrived and placed four mugs of beer on the tables in front of us. When she walked away my mind couldn't help but think of what happened in the battle against the Wraith. I needed to speak with an expert.

...

'Gandalf,' I said to the old wizard as I walked towards him.

He was sitting in one of the gardens in the Houses of Healing smoking a pipe when I found him. It was early in the morning after I had a drink with my family.

'Can I help you John?' he asked me.

'Yes. Well, I need advice more than anything.'

I sat down next to him and pulled Alaric from the sheath.

'During my battle against the Wraith I thought I was going to die. I felt cold and fearful but then I felt warmth. It gave me the strength to fight and I realized it was coming from my sword. When I looked at it I was sure that it was glowing orange for a moment. You're a wizard and...'

'You were hoping that I could help find out what happened with your sword,' he finished.

'Yes.'

'Let me have a look at it.'

I passed him my sword and the old man studied the blade. He ran his finger along the edge of the blade and muttered something under his breath in a language I didn't know. After he scrutinized every inch of Alaric he handed it back to me.

'As far as I can tell it's a very well made sword but apart from that I can see nothing special about it.'

'Oh,' I said, feeling a little downtrodden.

'That said, when you stabbed the Nazgul it should not have been set alight,' Gandalf explained. 'Perhaps something did help you but it has not stayed in your blade.'

'By "something" what do you mean?'

Instead of answering me at once he just smiled and stood up.

'I'll let you come up with an answer for that,' he told me. 'I need to check on Frodo.'

As he walked away I thought about what he said to me. If he meant what I thought he meant that would be remarkable. To this day I do not know what caused it but I know that someday I will know the truth for certain.

AN: I hope you enjoyed this one my loyal readers and anyone who is passing by.

Review Responses:

Kiya: I hope that answered what the Morgoth happened. Also, I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one.

ATP: I couldn't resist it alright. That review was practically gift wrapped for Jason.

Please review and I'll see you next week.

Have a nice day.