A/N: WOW hi there folks! The end of the year is upon us and my life has erupted into insanity! Sorry this one took so long lol. Obviously I definitely won't be putting out another update before 2017 is over, so this chapter will (quite literally lmao) end with a bang to leave things on an interesting note. Hope it's dramatic and entertaining enough for you, and I'll see you on the other side in 2018.
Here's to another year of me wasting precious time on wish-fulfillment fanfiction when I could be acting like a normal adult [glass clink]
To Whatever End: Chapter Twelve
-Kathryn-
The first glimpses of daylight painted the skies in soft pinks as I stood as close to the precipice as I dared, staring out over the lands far below. Everything was still and silent, my gaze stretching towards the impossible place where the mountains met the sky on the horizon. The world around me was at peace, but I... I had no idea what to say, or to do... or to think, even. In the blink of an eye, everything I thought I'd known about the future had been turned on its head. Everything had changed. And now Kaia was gone. One of the closest friends I'd ever had... gone. As if she'd just vanished into thin air.
...So now what do I do?
It had haunted me ever since the moment she'd left the tent. What was I to do with the grim knowledge that everything was about to get unbearably worse? How was I supposed to continue on from here? I felt numb. I had no answers. I had no sense of direction. Nothing. I stared down at the tents lining the base of the mountain, struggling to process it all. In my heart, I knew I couldn't turn and run from this fight after coming so far, but... now I wanted to. After what Kaia had told me, I just wanted to get out. To take my horse and put as much distance between me and Minas Tirith as possible without ever looking back. Again, I found myself questioning whether or not the future of Middle-Earth was really worth it. If there was a point to enduring all this for the sake of someone else's world. What if I did just quit? What if I just... just gave up, finally?
"Kathryn?"
I blinked at the sound of my name, slowly turning to see Éowyn standing behind me, her face falling as she caught my vacant stare. "Are you all right?" she asked.
My gaze moved past her to the encampment beyond, seeing others begin to stir as morning came. Men who were soldiers and warriors. Men with conviction and purpose in this world. I looked back to the other woman, lost and forlorn. "...What are we doing here, Éowyn?" I whispered. "Why did we come?"
She frowned, answering as if it were obvious. "To ride alongside our kinsmen. To fight."
"Fight for what?" I asked. "Freedom? Peace?" I all but scoffed. "I won't ever find that here even if Sauron's defeated. Because whether we win or lose, most of the people I care about in this world will still be dead. And the longer I stay in this, the longer I risk losing more than I already have." I shook my head, biting my lip as old, distant hurts clawed at me from within. "I can't keep doing this forever, Éowyn. I can't keep dragging myself through this again and again."
Her frown only deepened. "Why do you speak as if the war is already lost? To despair now, Kathryn, is to allow Sauron the victory. We cannot submit to him now; not when we are so close to banishing evil from these lands forever!" She took a step closer, her voice softening. "We must fight. For the sake of this world and all that is good in it, we must."
But her words only stirred anger, not hope. "No, you don't get it; you don't understand - I don't care, Éowyn!" I finally barked in frustration. "I'm not in it for the sake of Middle-Earth's future. I'm sorry, but I'm not!" She drew back slightly, shocked by my words as my shoulders slumped. "All I ever wanted to do was protect my friends," I said. "The people I loved. That was my reason for everything I did." I swallowed hard, hating how much it still stung. "I wanted to protect Theodred, and I failed. I wanted to protect Boromir, and I failed. I lost both of them. And now, I... what if I ride into this fight and I lose Kaia? Or Erin, or... or you, or Éomer?" Again, I shook my head, words almost failing me as I thought about everything I knew now. "I can't watch myself fail again, Éowyn," I whispered. "I'm not ready to face that."
For a moment, Éowyn said nothing, only watching with deep eyes full of sympathy. But then she stepped forward, placing a gentle, pale hand on my shoulder as she spoke. "You did not fail Theodred, Kathryn. Nor did you fail Boromir. It was never your duty to protect them from such evil." She paused, growing distant. "My mother and father were taken from me by this darkness also, and I was so young when... For a time, I was consumed by bitterness and anger, and I believed it was my fault that they were gone. That I had not done enough, or anything at all to save them. ...But then I grew older, and I came to understand their fates were not mine to command. As were no others to command mine." She blinked, her focus returning to me. "You were not meant to change the fates of Theodred and Boromir, bitter though they were. Nor are you responsible for that of any other." She squeezed my shoulder firmly, resolve steeling in her eyes. "If I am meant to die in battle, then so be it. I would be proud to die fighting in defense of that which I love, rather than wither away in an ancient hall, old and frail until I return to the dust of the earth in silence."
I stared back at her, struck by her words yet still tied back by threads of fear. "But what's the point of it all? If I can't protect the people I love, then what purpose do I have here?"
At that, Éowyn's hand fell away, and she stepped back. "That I do not know. I am no wise man who can forsee all things. You must discover it for yourself." Still, she offered a small smile. "But you are a woman of unfailing strength, and a good heart, and courage most of all in the face everything you have seen. And for that I know your purpose must be one of greatness, for never have I known any other like you on this earth." I was stunned into silence, her sincerity cutting deep and burrowing into my heart as she reached out to clasp her hands around mine. "You have so much to offer this world, Kathryn," she said quietly. "Never let fear take that away from you."
–
-Kaia-
At first, I was entirely underwhelmed by the atmosphere of the mountain itself. We rode through three clear nights and cloudless days, with the September sun shining high in the sky and bathing everything in a comfortable warmth. It was an odd contrast against the barren landscape around us, though. The path quickly became more of a canyon colored like ash, with jagged walls of stone stretching up over our heads on both sides. There was little in the way of plant life, save for a few trees, some moss here and there, and the occasional dead or dying bush off to the side. But nothing I hadn't already seen in a mountain pass before. The only thing that felt out of place was the unnatural silence throughout the entire ravine. I'd noticed it when we'd first entered and thought nothing of it then, but now days had gone by without so much as a squawk from a bird flying overhead. It was certainly something I was aware of now as we pressed further on, but aside from that, everything else seemed... perfectly normal.
Apparently Gimli disagreed with me, however. He'd been on edge ever since we'd first left the Rohirrim camp, and even now I could sense his paranoia as we approached a divide in the path one afternoon. I glanced back at him from my place behind Aragorn. His gaze darted back and forth, skittish and frantic, like he expected something to jump out at us at any moment. "And here I thought you'd like being back in the mountains again, Gimli," I teased.
The dwarf only shook his head. "Not in any mountain so desolate as this. What kind of army would linger in such a place?"
"One that is cursed," came Legolas' answer from in front of him. "Traitors of a forgotten age." Aragorn began steering us towards the right branch of the path, shadowed by high clifftops. There was a strange fascination in the elf's eyes as he observed the scenery around him. "I read tales of this mountain when I was young, but only ever believed them to be legend."
"And what legend would that be?" Gimli huffed from behind him.
The skies seemed to darken slightly as Legolas turned his head. "Do you not know the story? Long ago, the men of the mountain swore an oath to the last king of Gondor. To come to his aid; to fight. But when the time came... When Gondor's need was dire... they fled, vanishing into the darkness of the mountain." I glanced to my left, peering down another path branching off into nothing as we passed it by. "And so Isildur cursed them. Never to rest, until they had fulfilled their pledge."
"I never knew you to be so into ghost stories," I muttered. There was no breeze stirred, but I drew my cloak a little tighter about my shoulders anyway against a slight chill in the air.
"It is no story," he warned. "It is prophecy." The path grew narrower now, and darker still. Suddenly I felt a sense of claustrophobia creeping up my spine as Legolas went on, his voice now low and eerily somber. "'Who shall call them from the grey twilight; the forgotten people? The heir of him to whom the oath they swore.'"
Now I was the one feeling goosebumps on my skin. "Legolas, cut it out."
"'From the north he shall come. Need shall drive him. He shall pass the door to the Paths of the Dead.'"
"Okay, thank you, Legolas," I ground out, twisting in my seat to glare at him. But the elf only met my gaze briefly and said nothing, and I turned forward again, fixing my gaze on the back of Aragorn's head.
As the path gave way to a slight incline, it closed in even tighter, and I had to duck underneath the branch of a decaying pine as we slipped through. Almost instantly, there was a shift in the air, damp and cold as everything grew dim. The silence I'd only noticed in passing before was now palpable, and I hardly even dared to breathe as Aragorn had us stop to dismount our horses. It was so... lifeless. That was the only way I could think to describe it. I almost thought I could hear a distant groan on the wind, and my stomach twisted into knots as we rounded the final bend in the path, stopping short in front of a truly chilling display. There in the middle of the mountainside lay a crude rectangular doorway, harboring a darkness so thick you couldn't see more than two feet inside. As we approached, my mouth went dry and I suppressed a shudder, seeing skulls embedded into the stone surrounding the archway. Skulls that were distinctly human.
"The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away!" Gimli whispered.
I stopped a few feet from the door, overwhelmed by a feeling of sudden dread as I peered into the void-like entrance. I wished then that I didn't already have the knowledge of what lay inside. Somehow knowing seemed to make things even worse.
Legolas took another step forward to look over a series of ancient symbols carved into the stone. "The way is shut," he read aloud. "It was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut."
I swallowed, turning to Aragorn with a worried look, but just as I opened my mouth, an unprompted blast of wind burst forth from the doorway, and with it, a moan that sent chills through my entire body. I jumped as the horses whinnied loudly and reared back, successfully tearing free of my hold on their reins. Before I could stop them, they instantly bolted and ran, abandoning us even against Aragorn's cries for them to come back. Not that I could blame them. I stood frozen in place, watching them take off in fear as my heart thundered in my chest. Now we had no way out.
All eyes flicked to Aragorn as he turned back to the doorway in defiance, staring into the darkness undeterred with a fire in his eyes. "I do not fear death!" Without a moment's hesitation, he strode forward, enveloped by the blackness of the cave and its supernatural forces within.
I stared after him for a moment as his form disappeared, glancing to Legolas with wide eyes. Oh God, I don't want to do this. The elf held my gaze for a moment, but then also stepped forward, following after Aragorn without a word. My jaw clenched, and I wanted to run, but forced my instincts back. No. I have to do this. I have to stay with him no matter what. As the last glimpse of Legolas' green cloak slipped away, I squared my shoulders, my hands drifting to the hilts of my swords as I passed beneath the doorway. Let's do some ghost hunting, shall we?
–
-Kathryn-
Three days after Kaia, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas had left us, the whole camp was in a frenzy. Today was officially the day we were to set out for Minas Tirith. It was barely mid-morning, but already people were tearing down tents and putting out fires, frantically trying to pack up as quickly as possible. I was acting no different as Éowyn tightened the final straps of my chest armor, securing it to my body as I tried not to hyperventilate. "This isn't going to work," I worried, every hair on my body standing at attention. "Someone will see us - there's no way we won't get caught doing this!" I glanced back as my blonde friend reached to grab our helmets, the two of us currently hidden inside my tent as we got our disguises on.
"Kathryn, please!" Éowyn answered. "We will be fine! Just keep to yourself and speak to no one unless you must, like we've planned. No one will be looking for us - my uncle already believes we left to return to Edoras." She passed me a helmet before slipping on one which almost entirely obscured her face. Between that and the armor, she was well concealed.
I took my own helmet from her, slightly too big for my head, but a good enough fit to cover most of my face as well. For a moment, I was almost reluctant to put it on, but pushed my uncertainties aside and did it anyway. Éowyn had convinced me to stick with her and ride to Minas Tirith, after all. I'd promised her I would after the much needed pep talk she'd given me the other day. "Okay, but I'm still convinced Éomer will be able to sniff us out even under all this armor. Your brother's half bloodhound, I swear."
The shieldmaiden rolled her eyes. "Now you're just being ridiculous."
I sighed as I made sure the helmet was on securely, tucking my dark hair back behind my ears. Grabbing my belt, I quickly double checked to make sure all my throwing knives were there and Ringil was still properly tucked away in its sheath. Should I have sharpened these beforehand? I don't know, I'd assume we'll make at least one pit stop on the way to the city.
But Éowyn's urgent cry drew my attention a moment later as she peered outside. "Kathryn, hurry! The company is leaving!"
Shit. "I'm coming!" The last of the clips clicked into place, the familiar weight of my weapons settling around my waist as I turned. "Alright. Let's go." Éowyn nodded, and the two of us stepped out into the bright daylight to begin our plan. We made a mad dash through the campsite to the secret spot where our horses were hidden within a small cluster of trees, unnoticed by the other men. My muscles relaxed the tiniest bit as I approached Deor with a gentle hand on her neck. "Hey girl. You ready?" She neighed softly in response, and I smiled before reaching to untie her from a tree. For the briefest moment, though, I still hesitated, my gaze falling to the sword at my side as Deor's restraints fell away. ...Am I really doing this? Riding headfirst into this insanity?
But then the familiar thundering roll of horses stampeding across the ground tore me from my thoughts, and I twisted around to see hundreds of the Rohirrim thundering past. Théoden and Éomer lead the pack, with the latter's voice booming out over the thousands upon thousands preparing to ride. "Form up, move out! Move out!"
"Kathryn! Come on!" Éowyn hissed urgently, already mounted atop her horse Windfola.
I swallowed and quickly followed suit, swinging myself up into Deor's saddle and immediately kicking her into action as we burst forth from the trees together. Within seconds, we'd fallen right in line with the rest of the horde, tearing through the valley and beginning the final stretch of our journey to the battle awaiting us at Minas Tirith.
"Ride!" I heard Théoden cry from further ahead. "Ride now to Gondor!"
I tightened my grip on Deor's reins, letting out a sigh as I pushed her to keep an even pace with Éowyn. "Oh, what the hell," I muttered. "No turning back now."
–
-Erin-
I stood unwavering against the cool chill of the night, cloaked in shadow amidst the silent courtyard. Dusk had fallen some time ago, and with it, I had gone to take my place, carefully calculated and positioned just so for me to see everything I needed to. My eyes danced between each element, observing them all with wary eyes as I twisted the rings on my fingers, waiting. There were four guards within my view, as I had known there would be, each of them at their posts surrounding the White Tree. Only one of them was facing my direction, and if I were to step out into the open, he surely would have seen me and questioned what I was doing out in the courtyard at this hour. But that was not what was going to happen. My gaze now shifted to the front of the King's Hall, up to a specific window on the far right near the lowest balcony. Anticipation began to wind in my gut, and a hand fell to the small leather pouch at my waist, waiting...
...There. The darkness within the window was suddenly split by a small flare of light - a candle set on the sill. And, more importantly, my signal from Faramir. I looked back to the guard, and not a minute later watched as someone emerged from within the citadel to summon him for a meeting with his captain. Sure enough, he obeyed, my eyes tracking him as he quickly abandoned his post and crossed the clearing to vanish beyond the citadel doors. Faramir had done his part, leaving me an opening to begin the mission. I took a deep breath, turning to the Tower of Ecthelion, stretching three hundred feet up into the inky sky. And now the rest was up to me.
Without a moment's hesitation, I started forward, my steps utterly silent as I moved quickly towards the base of the tower. As I reached it, I paused for only a second to glance out towards the White Tree. There was only one guard now who had any potential of seeing me, and I kept my eyes on him as I reached one hand up, then another. Nothing. Not even the slightest movement to indicate he'd spotted me. Okay. Now comes the harder part. I returned my gaze to the tower, finding a secure spot to grip as I pulled myself up and found a foothold. Seventy-five feet stood between me and my only point of entry, and I had to move quickly or I risked the fourth guard returning and catching me in the act. So I began to climb, keeping my focus sharp and my breathing steady as I hoisted myself upwards, bit by bit, making good use of the many elaborate, decorative ledges carved into the stone. There was only one doorway into the Tower of Ecthelion, which Faramir had told me was flanked by two guards that were impossible to get past. Thankfully, though, I'd been a climber from a very young age and had never been afraid of heights, so I was perfectly happy with this alternative. About halfway up, I glanced down to check on the status of the guard - he hadn't come back. A small smile flashed across my face as I continued on, steadily moving upwards under cover of darkness.
This was my shot. This night was the only night this could happen. Denethor's councilmen had insisted on meeting with him to discuss his intent for the upcoming battle, which guaranteed he'd be out of his personal chambers for at least an hour. This, in turn, gave Faramir plenty of time to slip inside, find the key made to unlock the door at the tower's peak, and bring said key to me. But no meeting would last forever, of course, and the moment Denethor returned to find it missing, I'd be in trouble. And so I kept moving, pushing a stray lock of hair out of my face as the breeze stirred, the ledge I intended to reach now within my sights.
Less than a third of the way up, there was an entire level which served as an open balcony, and I drew as close to it as I dared, fingers clinging to the final ledge as I pressed myself flat against the stone. For several seconds, I went absolutely still, practically holding my breath as I listened.
And then I heard it - footsteps. Patrolling footsteps.
My pulse quickened as I prepared myself, still clinging to the ledge outside and waiting, listening for a pattern as the footsteps went back and forth, back and forth. And then, as they changed direction and grew distant a third time, I nodded to myself, letting out a breath before taking a final, silent leap up and ducking inside. Please let this work, please let this work...
As soon as I hit the carpeted stone, I glanced left to check - the guard was no more than a handful of yards away, but with his back to me - then immediately darted to the other wall and out of the light to remain unseen. Goosebumps covered my entire body, and I wanted to collapse with relief, but I knew I had to keep moving as I slid further down the wall until I found the entrance to a stairwell. Not time to celebrate yet. I continued to pick my way through each level of the tower, slowly but surely winding upwards as I evaded the guards one by one. Every inch of me was on high alert the whole time, and it took all my willpower to stay calm, but I kept moving. Come on. Remember what the elves taught you. Listen for movements, stick to the shadows. Stay light on your feet and take it slow. You can do this. There were a few close calls here and there, but I made it through, and before long I'd ducked into the final staircase leading to the highest chamber of the tower. It was utterly bare, save for three torches in sconces lining either side of the corridor, and for a second, I paused. Why are they lit? No one should be up here. But nevertheless, I knew I couldn't just stop now. Heart pounding in my chest, I crept up the steps, slowing only when I reached the door.
My hand slipped into my bag as I approached, searching for the old iron key. The door was ancient and wooden, but expertly carved, bearing only a single, thin slat of a window at its center. There was no light showing from beneath the door or through the window itself, though, and I relaxed slightly as I stepped up to insert the key. Even now, I couldn't see anything as I peered in. Oh, thank God. There's no one here. I slipped it in and gave it a twist, hearing the click of the lock coming undone. Praying the door wouldn't be a loud, creaky one, I carefully pushed it open as far as I dared and slipped inside.
The door opened without a sound, and I shut it softly behind me as I stepped into the room cloaked in eerie silence. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I took a moment to survey the room around me, slightly surprised by how spacious it felt. The ceiling stretched high overhead, with six windows perfectly spaced around the walls which allowed pale moonlight to filter through. I could make out the shapes of other things in the room as well - bookshelves and a few other pieces of furniture, mostly. For a second, I wondered if Denethor might've used this as something of a private study.
That, however, wasn't what I'd come for. As my eyes fell to the pedestal in the center of the room, I froze, suddenly feeling a chill run through my body just at the sight of it. Slowly, ever so slowly, I started forward, now unable to look anywhere else as I approached. I could feel its pull on my heart; an unnatural whisper at the back of my mind, beckoning me closer. And yet mixed with that, there was an underlying fear. Glimpses of the things I'd seen back in Edoras resurfaced, and I swore I could still feel traces of a burning pain, making me want to turn and flee. But I didn't. I stepped right up to the pedestal, reaching out, hand hovering for just a moment over the heavy velvet obscuring the stone. "I will not run from you," I whispered.
The fabric was torn away, falling uselessly to the floor, and there it was. The palantír of Minas Tirith. Sauron's direct connection to this city, sitting right in front of me atop a pristine velvet pillow. Its smooth black surface glinted in the moonlight, and from within, a strange teal glow of its own seemed to flicker. I stared at it as it sat there, dormant and waiting. Just waiting for me to reach out and touch it. And a part of me almost wanted to. You did it once, after all, a quiet voice whispered. Who's to say you couldn't do it again?
It sounded enticing at first. I could do it again... But then I remembered what I'd seen. The fire, and the roaring fury... I closed my eyes, shaking my head. No, I reminded myself. That's not what I'm here for. I slipped my hand into my bag again, drawing out the rest of its contents as I looked down. The small vial still shone that same iridescent blue, faintly illuminating the room as I uncorked it and emptied every last drop out over the palantír. The Blue Fire coated it easily, dripping down the sides and collecting in small pools on the pillow, and I felt a smug satisfaction as I discarded the vial. If only Saruman were here to see this, I thought, crouching down to pile a small bit of kindling on the floor. His own creation set to destroy his master's hold on this city. With only a few quick strikes of flint stone, the kindling lit just enough for me to take a small candle and set it aflame. Standing over the palantír one last time, I turned, candle in hand, and carefully set it atop the seeing stone amidst the volatile liquid dousing its surface.
A smile stretched across my face as I stepped back, admiring my handiwork. It was done. Now it was only a matter of time before the candle melted away and the palantír was destroyed. It was small, but would allow me plenty of time to head back down and out of the tower before it struck, I knew. All my muscles seemed to relax as I finally turned my back on the stone, shocked I'd actually managed to pull this off. I did it. I actually did it. Minas Tirith will be healed. My smile widened as I reached the door, knowing Faramir would be eager to hear everything once I got back. Oh my God, he's going to be so blown away... I chuckled to myself, reaching for the doorknob. And Kaia and Kathryn, too. Christ, I can't wait to tell them. 'Hey guys, you're never going to guess what I got to do while I was here in Mi-'
...The door didn't open.
I froze, frowning in confusion. Had I twisted it the wrong way? I tried again. Nothing. What? A jolt of fear struck me, and I tried again, harder this time. The door didn't budge. Again, and again, this time I shoved against the door with my whole body and still got nothing. "What the hell?" My mouth went dry as I stared at the knob. "What... what happened?" I looked up, peering out the slit of the window to look down the stairs, and suddenly it was like someone had dumped ice water down my back.
The tall, dark silhouette of a man was descending them, just reaching the bottom.
He'd locked me in.
My blood ran cold. "Hey! HEY!" I slammed myself against the door, pounding on it with my fists. "You bastard! Let me out! LET ME OUT!" But he was already gone, turning the corner and ignoring me completely. "HEY! Someone help! Help me! Let me out!" Despite my cries, though, no one came, and the cold reality hit me like a brick wall. I'd been found out. Somehow, Denethor's men had known. And now they'd locked me in.
A shadow flickered on the wall, and a horrified gasp escaped me as I slowly turned my head, fully realizing the situation I was in. Fear turned to absolute terror as I faced the palantír on its pedestal, now a ticking time bomb set to detonate in mere minutes and likely incinerate anything within reach. And I was trapped in here with it. "No..." My heart dropped into my stomach like a stone. "Oh God, no! No no no, shit!" I looked down, my mind racing to come up with a solution, but I had nothing. I had absolutely nothing else on me. No no no no what do I do what do I do?! Holy shit, I'm... Fuck, fuck! Eyes darted everywhere, over every inch of the room, hoping, praying for something I could use to -
Windows.
The moment I remembered them, I stilled, looking upwards. They were big enough for me to fit through, I could tell. That's it. That's my other way out. But they were so high up, far too high for me to jump... I glanced back to the candle. It had definitely gotten smaller. Shit. Just go, just... GO! I bolted for the nearest one, a tall bookshelf stationed right under it. I just have to reach the top. I just - I can climb it, but I need - My pulse was racing at breakneck speed as I whirled around, desperate for anything and going for the first piece of furniture I saw. I grabbed hold of the table and pulled with all my might, letting out a cry as I used all the strength I had to drag it across the floor. "Come on!" I pulled again, and slowly, ever so slowly, managed to get it in front of the bookshelf.
I glanced back to the candle. Less than half left.
"Shit! Oh my God, oh my God..." I was all but shaking with fear as I leapt onto the table, looking up at the bookshelf to try and assess how the hell I could climb it. No, there's no time, no time! Just go, you idiot! Move! I went for it without another thought, latching onto the highest shelf I could reach and getting my feet up. "Come on..." I gasped, dragging myself up. "Come on!" I could hear my heartbeat thundering in my ears. I couldn't think, I could barely breathe - all I knew was that I had to make this. The room was too small, there was nowhere I could go to duck from the blast. That window was my only hope. Again and again, I pulled myself upwards, frantically ripping books from the shelves to give me spaces to cling to. For a split second, I dared to glance back over my shoulder - the candle had grown dangerously small now. Come on, I'm almost there! I looked back to the window, keeping all my focus on the glass panes nearly within reach. I'm so close, come on... Just a little further...
And that was when my foot slipped.
I felt the shelf crack under my weight, and before I knew it I'd lost a foothold. I screamed, clinging to the bookshelf with everything I had, but it was too late. I felt the shift, and knew there was nothing I could do as the entire bookshelf tipped back at a dangerous angle before gravity dragged it down completely. As it fell, I lost my grip, flying back and hitting the ground hard as I threw my hands over my head. I didn't have enough time to move before it hit, smacking my head against the stone and turning everything to a blur as pain burst in my forearms.
At first, I didn't move. Everything hurt. Stars danced across my vision, and even attempting to roll over made my entire body sore. But the table... the table had stopped the bookshelf from falling onto me entirely. And I had to get out. I had to get out now. Forcing myself to ignore the throbbing pain in my head, I twisted onto my stomach and dragged myself forward, crawling out from underneath the collapsed bookshelf with a cry of pain through clenched teeth. I pulled my legs free and pushed myself up onto all fours, pausing to catch my breath before looking back to the window.
I had to get out. Somehow. I had to find another way. With the last shreds of my strength, I got on my feet, slowly standing up.
But as I did, I turned back to the candle. Just as my eyes found it, the last of the wick was burnt away.
Before I could even blink, there was a blinding flash of light.
And the palantír exploded.
There was a deafening blast like a gunshot that shook the room, and suddenly an impossible pain ripped through my abdomen, a scream tearing from my own throat I barely even recognized before I collapsed instantly. It all happened so fast, I saw almost nothing. But I felt it, even as I hit the stone with another agonized cry, unable to move. Everything was burning. It was all burning. And the last thing I remembered was the feeling of blood pooling on the ground beneath me and a numbness in my limbs before my vision went dark.
