I don't own Lord of the Rings. I only own Edleneth, as well as the twists I put into the story.
Edleneth had spent a week at the peak of the mountain, watching Gandalf's body and trying to find the motivation to leave him behind. She knew she had to get to Mordor, but she had hoped that Gandalf would have been there to advise her. She didn't know how she would get into Mordor, much less make it through the cold land to Mount Doom without being detected or caught. Edleneth could sneak past Arwen and even Elrohir and Elladan on occasion, but there was no way she'd be able to sneak past an entire army of orcs and other monsters.
Edleneth looked away from Gandalf and sent another prayer to the Valar. They hadn't responded to her, and she was beginning to lose hope. Perhaps because the evilness of the Ring was inside her, they refused to listen. She knew Gandalf's task wasn't done; she refused to believe anything of the kind was true. Even so, she was starting to give up. Maybe I should just go, she thought, I have a mission to complete.
Sighing, Edleneth stood up. She glanced at Gandalf's body one last time. "If I could bury you I would, Mithrandir," she addressed it, "But it is bare rock and snow up here, and I do not have the strength to carry you down this cursed mountain." She turned away from him and began to climb down the mountain.
The part of Caradhras that Edleneth was climbing down was terribly steep. It took all of her focus to not slip on its icy cliffs and fall to her death. Edleneth made her way slowly, being sure of every foothold before moving her hands. If she was to get to Mordor, she couldn't die on Caradhras. The weather was not on her side. The snow billowed about her and the wind threatened to dash her to pieces on the mountainside.
Please Valar, she prayed, help me get down this mountain. She could learn to accept that Mithradir wasn't coming back, but she needed all the divine help she could get. Eru be with me. Suddenly, the snow stopped and the wind died down. Edleneth felt comforted as the sun shone down on her, and she took a deep breath before continuing to climb.
After many hours of climbing, Edleneth finally made it to leveler ground. Its gentle slopes seemed much more enticing than the steep cliffs she had been climbing down before, but Edleneth remained cautious. Now that the ground was flatter and wider, there could be wolves or other enemies waiting for her. She kept her hand on the hilt of her scimitar and tried to be as silent as she could be with her steps. She also kept her eyes out for an uninhabited cave or an overhanging in which she could rest for a short while. She didn't feel as if she needed to sleep, but her limbs ached from her descent and she wanted to sit down for a few moments at least.
After a few more hours, Edleneth found a suitable place to rest. It was a small divot in the rocky side of the mountain, but it protected her from the snow, which had slowly started up again. She leaned her head against the wall and stretched out her legs. Her stomach grumbled, and Edleneth thought about the provisions that the Lady Galadriel had packed on Suldal. If only I had some lembas bread, she thought, If only I had just a bite of that. She shook her head. Now is not the time to think of ifs, she told herself, I have to get down this mountain. Edleneth slowly pushed herself up. Stretching her legs one last time, she continued down the snowy slopes.
Edleneth listened carefully for any sign of danger, and again placed her hand on the scimitar's hilt as a precaution. She took a deep breath when she heard a wolf howling, and unsheathed her weapon, preparing herself. She watched for any moving forms in the blurry snow, remained completely still, and made sure her breathing stayed even. After a few moments, Edleneth didn't hear another wolf howl, so she sheathed her scimitar and silently continued on her way down the mountain. She kept herself alert, with her hand poised to grab the hilt of her weapon and swing it at any approaching enemy.
As the sky grew darker, Edleneth debated whether or not to halt for the night. If she happened upon a wolf while wandering in the dark, there was little chance she'd be able to defend herself before gaining serious injury. However, the snow had stopped and the moon wasn't hidden behind any clouds, so the visibility was decent for traveling at night. Deciding overall that she didn't want to spend another moment longer on Caradhras than she had to, Edleneth continued on her way.
After another hour of walking, Edleneth noticed that the snow on the ground was lighter than it had been and that patches of grass could be seen. She pressed on, encouraged by the thought that she might be at the end of the mountain range.
When she saw a campfire in the distance, Edleneth paused. She was unsure about who would be camping so close to the mountain, but she assumed that it wasn't going to be an ally. She silently unsheathed the scimitar and crept towards the light, keeping to the shadows. As she grew nearer, Edleneth was surprised that the fire was untended. Suddenly, twin daggers pressed against her throat, and Edleneth realized she hadn't been as careful as she had hoped.
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