Chapter 11

The Lighting of the Beacons

Ruby, Pippin, and Gandalf lounged around in a nice room that had been provided for them. Gandalf was out smoking on the balcony, while Pippin looked over the armor that had been given him for his new impressive job, Ruby perched on the bed where it was all so carefully laid out. "So, I imagine this is just a ceremonial position. I mean, they don't actually expect me to do any fighting, do they?" Pippin asked, obviously trying to hide the tinge of fear in his voice, though Ruby heard it as clear as day anyway. It made her feel guilty and foolish for ever having offered her service to the insane Steward. After all, if she had only kept her mouth shut, Pippin wouldn't be in this situation.

"You're in the service of the Steward now. You're going to have to do as you're told, Peregrin Took!" Gandalf told him in a scratchy voice as he began to cough. "Ridiculous Hobbit…Guard of the Citadel!" Ruby immediately got up from her place and poured him a glass of water, which he gracefully accepted. "Thank you."

"Look on the bright side Pip. At least you haven't been made the Steward's personal slave." She told him, trying to make her voice sound light hearted and teasing though it came out more annoyed and perhaps even insulted.

"Personal attendant." Both Pippin and Gandalf corrected, though Pippin rolled his eyes as he said it, which succeeded in earning a shy grin from Ruby.

"What's the difference? I'll be expected to wait on him hand and foot like one, or at least one of his lowest servants." She said grimacing to think of when she had been told of her new position. "Oh, but what right do I have to complain about? I deserve it, for opening my big mouth." She sighed and Gandalf nodded his head in agreement, which of course only made her feel worse.

"It's not your fault Ruby." Pippin offered encouragingly, coming over to put an arm around her. "I'm sure if you hadn't said it I would have myself. Besides, it's not as if you forced me to join you. I chose to do so all on my own." She smiled at him tentatively for his efforts, before laying her head down on his shoulder and looking up to the bright sky searching for the bright lights that almost always seemed to give her courage. But she couldn't see one.

"There are no more stars. Is it time?" She asked Gandalf.

"Yes." He answered solemnly, and she found herself pressing closer to Pippin wishing she could somehow protect him from what was coming and knowing that he was thinking the same thing about her.

"It's so quiet." He commented in a soft voice.

"It's the deep breath before the plunge." Gandalf told him, and he sighed and letting go of Ruby came to stand at the very edge of the balcony itself, gazing out at the world below him.

"I don't want to be in a battle, but waiting on the edge of one I can't escape is even worse." He said and his voice sounded so forlorn and even frightened that it made Ruby want to cry, though she refused to let the tears fall.

"Is there any hope, Gandalf, for Frodo, Hazel, and Sam?" She asked instead, turning to face the White Wizard; her friend. But to her surprise his expression and words were anything but encouraging.

"There was never much hope. Just a fool's hope. Our enemy is ready. His full strength gathered. Not only Orcs, but Men as well. Legions of Haradrim for the south. Mercenaries from the coast. All will answer Mordor's call. This will be the end of Gondor as we know it. Here the hammer-stroke will fall hardest. If the river is taken… if the garrison at Osgiliath falls, the last defense of this city will be gone." Gandalf said, his voice nearly devoid of emotion, which ripped Ruby's heart in two.

"But we have the White Wizard. That's got to count for something." Pippin responded, turning back to face the two of them, an optimistic smile on his face that reminded her of all the reason's she loved him.

"Sauron has yet to release his deadliest servant, the one who will lead Mordor's armies in war. The one they say no living man can kill. The Witch-king of Angmar. You've met him before. He stabbed Frodo on Weathertop. He is the Lord of the Nazgûl, the greatest of the Nine. Minas Morgal is his lair." Gandalf replied.

~jb~

Not long after their strange, and fairly depressing conversation (Ruby still could not accept what Gandalf had said about Frodo, Hazel and Sam, and utterly refused to give up her hope for them. Even if it was only a fool's hope), Gandalf brightened a bit with a look of determination. He beckoned the two hobbits to follow him as he went out and strode quickly through the city, both of them struggling as hard as they could to keep up.

"The great battle of our time. We come to it at last. The board is set. The pieces are moving. Peregrin Took, Ruby Goodchild, my friends, there is a task now to be done. Another opportunity for the Shire-folk to prove their worth. You must not fail me." He told them, and as Ruby looked up at the beacon tower in the distance a feeling of understanding and determination came over her. No, she wouldn't fail Gandalf. She wouldn't fail anybody. Not this time, not ever if she could help it, but certainly not this time. With that both she and Pippin nodded and took off running in its direction, holding hands for both comfort and strength.

When they reached it, Ruby didn't even hesitate to begin climbing, in spite of her almost paralyzing fear. She had a mission to complete. When they reached the top, they looked at one another then around at their surroundings. Ruby saw some oil and immediately set about to dousing the wood as best she could, while Pippin readied himself to set it aflame. The plan worked brilliantly, and soon the beacon was lit in a huge flame that Ruby doubted even the Steward himself would be able to put out any time soon, and by the time he did it would be far too late.

There was only one problem. As Pippin set the wood on fire, Ruby's dress just so happened to snag, trapping her near the top of the pile pulling for all she was worth. She didn't dare to cry out to Pippin, for fear of alerting the soldiers who were standing not so far away, but her fears began to border on hysteria as she watched the wood catch. Inside her mind she thought she heard a voice, a wicked voice. Is it not fitting that you should die by one of your sister's greatest passions? She nearly screamed at that, for it was the same voice she had heard while holding the horrible Palantir, but instead gave one final tug which finally tore the dress free and she fell back into Pippin's waiting arms and clung to him as if her life depended on him.

"Are you alright?" He asked, looking very concerned.

"Yes, just a bit…. shaken." She stammered, forcing a small shaky smile as if to prove it. He seemed to accept this and only held her closer to him, filling her with a sense of security.

"We did it Ruby. We did it." He whispered in her ear, as he carried her over to a place at the edge of the precipice where they could watch their masterpiece in safety before beginning the long climb down. She looked up and nodded her head smiling at the thought, but when she stared into the flames for some reason she could only see herself burning in them.

Down below Gandalf watched the entire scene unfold, smiling at their success as he whispered "Amon Dîn." Under his breath.

"The beacon! The beacon of Amon Dîn is lit!" One of the guards shouted, catching the attention of the 'dear' old Steward drawing him to his window and causing him to scowl as he realized what was happening.

Gandalf's mood, however had considerably lightened from earlier and his smile was quite bright in all of the gloom surrounding him as he murmured in relief, "Hope is kindled."