School starts tomorrow. That's a very depressing headliner to write, because it means two things. One, the fact that school starts tomorrow and two; I did not meet my goal of finishing this story by the end of summer. It's funny how my updates were so much better when school was keeping me busy. I thought all the free time I had in the summer would let me write more, but it turns out it's very hard to focus during the mind-set of summer vacation.
At any rate, I've finally started to gather my thoughts again, and I am ready to write and wrap up this bad boy! Yahoo!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Lord of the Rings. That'll be all for now…
Chapter 51 Recap:
"Is he ready for this, brother?" he asked, honestly.
Elladan was about to exit the tent, but he looked back at his twin. "He was prepared for this from the first moment we met him…maybe even before." Elladan then stepped outside.
Elrohir nodded in agreement, and then followed his brother out.
'Nai Anar caluva tielyanna,' he thought. 'May the sun shine on your path…even if you are surrounded by darkness.'
Recap # 2
"This is Abigail's horse," Pippin insisted. "But where's Abby?" he pouted.
"I do not know Pippin," Gandalf cast a forlorn look. "But I fear we will find out soon."
Chapter 52:
The Mouth of Sauron was circling them like a hawk looking for its prey.
"Are you positive it is complete?" he asked harshly. "We have no room for mistakes."
"My lord, we have used our powers well. It is exactly as you commanded," the Witch King bowed. "You can inspect yourself, if you wish it," he said, moving to the side and letting his superior through.
The Mouth brushed past him roughly, and marched right up to the face of his victim.
She did not even flinch; only look ahead with blank, but dark, eyes.
"Whom do you serve?" he questioned, not for one moment trusting the wench.
There was a pause, and for a split second he was sure the Nazgûl had failed.
But before he could punish them, her low, almost monotone voice spoke.
"Za dash-u snak-u Zigur, Durbgu nazg-shu, Durbgu dash-shu," she answered, unwavering.
He turned back to her with a malicious grin. "Very good, my dear."
(A/N – The only phrase in the Black Speech that I know, thanks to 'Council of Elrond' website. The rough translation is Hail to the master of earth Sauron, Ruler of the ring, Ruler of the earth.)
The Mouth outstretched a gangly finger. "Now, perhaps you will be more reasonable this time."
He touched the sharp nail to her forehead, trying to pry information again. But soon enough he released his touch with a gasp.
"Insolent girl!" he scolded, slapping her across the face. She willingly took the blow, and merely stood up straight again when he was finished.
"My lord, is there a problem?" a wraith asked.
He glared at them. "By turning her dark you have given her back her strength. Whether she realizes it or not, there are still certain places in her mind with powerful barriers that I can still not breach. I can not find the information I want!" he hissed angrily.
Suddenly he paused, looking thoughtful. "However, your efforts were not completely wasted. We only have to focus her hate on the right target, and she will fight for us mercilessly," he said, his sadistic grin returning.
The Mouth of Sauron came up to the girl, but a long hand on her shoulder and began to speak into her ear with a low voice.
"The world of men does not want you…they never did. You never belonged in their eyes," he hissed. "Your companions abandoned you, left you in this place to die. They can never trust you again, and I doubt they even trusted you before."
Her eyes narrowed at his words, which made him smile more.
"The people of this world hate you. No one cares what happens to you…you are all alone," he continued. "They think nothing of you, they don't even fear you."
"They should be afraid," she said with venom, her fists clenching.
"You're right, my child. Now is the time to show your power and your worth. Punish the foolish mortals; make them realize their mistake." He stepped around her back and walked around to face her. "But you must make an impact…are you willing to do what is necessary?"
"Can you help me?" she asked, reminding him of a begging dog.
"Of course we can, my lady. You need only to join us and our power is in your service," he nodded.
"Then I will do whatever it takes…they will pay!" she said coldly. She went on one knee and bowed her head. "Guide me, master."
He put is left hand under her chin and lifted her head slightly. To his delight, he saw that her blue eyes had turned into a pitch, onyx black, blending in with her pupil.
He said nothing more to her, and looked to the Nine. "Ger her out of these elvish rags. Be ready to leave almost immediately," he ordered. "We don't want to delay her," he finished with an evil laugh.
The wraiths bowed, and followed him out.
"Stay here," the Witch Kind commanded, and then shut the door.
When they were gone Abigail stood up, but didn't even bother to move from the spot she was in.
"You will wish I was never brought here," she whispered.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli rode slowly through the Dimholt. A bit too slowly, for Aragorn's liking. He wanted to make haste, but the horses refused to walk any faster; they were as uneasy as ever.
The three companions had ridden through the early night and now it was mid-morning.
Hardly any word was spoken as they continued on the narrow path, with sharp gray rocks shadowing them all the way.
"What kind of army would dwell in such a place?" Gimli asked cautiously, his voice half wondering and half complaining.
"One that is cursed," Legolas replied softly, sitting rigidly in the saddle. "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." Legolas paused, shifting his eyes for a moment. "And so Isildur cursed them," he breathed sharply, "Never to rest until they had fulfilled their pledge. The only one with the power to free them is the heir of the man to whom the oath they swore. The heir of Isildur."
Gimli's eyes widened with understanding. He peered over Legolas's soldier to look at Aragorn.
Aragorn could practically feel the eyes on his back, and he willed himself not to turn around.
'From the north shall he come. Need shall drive him. He shall pass the door to the Paths of the Dead,' he thought, recalling the rest of the prediction. 'This day was chosen for me…long, long ago'
"That is a fairly chilling bedtime story, master Elf," Gimli broke the second silence.
"What's more chilling is that we are about to see if it's true," Aragorn said quietly, knowing well enough that his voice would carry through this barren road.
"I still haven't quite fathomed that the twins came all this way to see you, and that they have chosen to stay and fight among Rohirrim. It's quite a trip, even for them," Legolas commented suddenly, urging his horse to ride along-side Aragorn.
"People go great lengths for love," the ranger spoke solemnly.
Legolas casually glanced over at Aragorn, but suddenly found himself doing a double take.
"Aragorn...the evenstar, did you...how?" he sputtered, surprise clearly expressed on his face.
"Your senses are becoming dulled, my friend. I thought you would have noticed before now," Aragorn smiled sadly.
"But after all this time…I do not understand!" he exclaimed.
"Be at ease, Legolas. I know elvish love is a fragile thing, but nothing ill has happened. It was simply our time to end," Aragorn explained calmly, surprising even himself. It seemed that maybe he had finally accepted the decision.
"Aragorn, this wouldn't have anything to do with Abigail, would it?" Gimli asked, raising a bushy eyebrow.
Aragorn stiffened at the mention of her name. As much as he hated to admit it, during every silence all he had been able to think was Abigail.
"But I don't want to think about it," he whispered.
"What was that?" Legolas questioned.
Aragorn looked up. "Nothing," he said curtly. "The decision was between Arwen and me, let us leave it at that." He urged his horse to take the lead again.
Legolas sighed silently. Before they had left, Aragorn had briefly explained Abigail's…predicament. But afterwards he had avoided speaking about it. At first, Legolas thought Aragorn had just been concerned, almost to the point of denial. But now he wondered if it was something deeper.
Flashback
"What do you mean Abigail's in Mordor?" Legolas hissed, trying not to draw attention. They were trying to leave with some sort of secrecy.
"She did not exactly give me the details either," Aragorn hissed back, roughly tightening the strap on his saddle.
"Do you realize what that means? She could be trapped with orcs, Nazgûl…she could be facing Sauron himself!" he said, franticly thinking over all the possibilities.
"Legolas, I am only telling you just so you know. It's not like we can stroll into Mordor and save her. Right now I have a duty to these people, they need our help," Aragorn emphasized, pointing at the soldier's camp. "We know at least she's alive, or else she wouldn't have been able to contact me. Abigail will have to manage, somehow."
"She'll have to manage? Listen to yourself Aragorn. She's a member of the fellowship and our friend. Do we not owe her at least an effort to do something!" he reasoned.
Aragorn, who had been leading his horse away, froze on the spot. Looking back only partially, he said sadly,
"I don't know what I can do for her…it may already be too late."
End Flashback
Legolas had sincerely hoped that that wasn't true. But even as strong and stubborn as Abigail was, how long could one girl last in Mordor?
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
(A/N – For time's sake, we're going to do a bit of skipping and go to the middle of the battle at Pellenor Fields)
Gothmog, leader of the Orc Army, watched impatiently as his soldiers tried to break in the massive doors to the city of Gondor. He hated waiting; it was always a waste of time. Most of the orc were useless with swords, they were strong and easily outnumbered the men.
He spat on the ground at the mere thought of them. The things he hated more than waiting were mortals.
Suddenly, to Gothmog's surprise, a black Fellbeast gracefully flew down and landed between the ranks and the city walls. As soon as the creature's wings stopped beating, he instantly recognized the markings of the Witch King.
"My lord," he said, nodding his pale disfigured head. "What brings you down here?"
"I bring a more competent leader than you," the Nazgûl hissed.
Gothmog turned his head, and on cue a warg came charging through and stopped next to the fellbeast, bearing a rider clad in black. With the hood shadowing the figures face, the rider looked almost like wraith.
But the hood was removed to display,
"A woman!" he snarled, forgetting to mind his tongue. "What insult is this, saying a wench like her could lead."
Before another word, he was lifted in the air, his head hanging a few feet above the crowed. He clawed at his throat, as if he was being strangled.
"Care to rethink that statement?" the woman said coldly, sliding off the wargs back.
Gothmog tried to choke out some form of apology, but the invisible grip just became tighter and tighter.
"Save your strength, Lady Abigail," the Witch King hissed. "The scum is not worth it, and your powers must be used for better plans."
Abigail released the tension in her hand, but her black eyes remained hard.
"Of course, my lord," she said, as Gothmog crashed to the ground, gasping for air. "But that should be an example for you all!" she yelled at the orcs, who averted their eyes.
The warg next to her growled.
"Shh, my pet," she cooed, stroking it's neck. "Don't spoil your appetite on filth," she glowered.
She turned back to the Witch King and bowed. "Where am I needed, my lord?"
He pointed simply to the scene with the battering ram. "I trust you know what to do from here. Just as instructed." And with that, the fellbeast kicked of the ground and began circling the air again.
"A flaming wolf's head," Abigail scoffed, studying the ram. She glanced back to Gothmog. "How barbaric."
Gothmog now understood he was overruled. "We are in your service, Lady Abigail."
She whipped her head around. "That's Lady of Darkness to you."
A pulse of her power went out, causing about 60 orcs to stumble.
Gothmog pinched his scarred lips together. They were now dealing with a different kind of power. One with a woman's' wrath.
OoOoOoOoOo
Change POV to Abigail's
Abigail could not remember why she hated mortals. Wasn't she one of them?
'No!' a voice in the back of hear head chided. 'You have power, you are better!'
She shook her head. She did not understand a lot of things, it seemed, but it was better to be angry than to be confused. Sometimes faces and memory's she could not recall would come up, and they would only fuel her hatred.
She almost didn't even know where the anger came from, but with it she could feel her power growing, which she assumed was a good thing.
"Move out of the way," she commanded the orcs, stepping onto the battering ram. "We have already delayed enough time with your foolish antics."
She channeled her power inward, and raised herself into the air. She floated up half the height of the blocked doors. The flames from the wolf's head licked hot air on her neck.
"Knock, knock," she smirked, thrusting her arms out. There was a small creaking sound, and then the doors burst open. Abigail even caught a glimpse of a few Gondorian soldiers flying through the air.
Abigail gently landed on the ground, brushing some dust of her black tunic.
She turned to face the stunned army of Mordor. "Well what are you standing there for? Charge!" she ordered.
Finding no reason to argue with that command, the orcs and trolls charged in without hesitation.
Abigail flew in the air again, not trusting the lumbering idiots to actual avoid her.
"Make your way up every level, destroy anything or kill anyone that dares to interfere. I want the white tree to burn black!" she yelled above the crowd.
She hovered for a while longer, watching the orcs stream into the city. The screaming was ongoing and buildings began to crumble more and more.
"This is humanity's last defense?" she muttered.
Much time did not seem to pass before she heard a call of,
"Retreat! The city is breached!"
Abigail scanned the mess below and tried to find the source of the order. "Fall back to the second level! Get the women and children out. Get them out! Retreat!" the same voice continued.
She went down closer and discovered her answer. An older looking man, dressed mostly, if not all, in white.
Now tired of observing, Abigail moved down to the ground.
"Keep moving into the city, let nothing hold you back!" she commanded.
She landed sharply in front of the man on the horse.
"Leaving so soon? We've only just begun," she grinned.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Gandalf's POV
Gandalf felt compelled to pull Shadowfax to a halt when the figure suddenly landed out of nowhere.
"Leaving so soon? We've only just begun," a woman's voice said coolly, and she gave a malicious smile.
Gandalf was shocked when his light eyes met pitch black one's. However, there was no mistaking the hair, face, voice…even her stature was similar.
"Abigail," he gasped, surprised to hear his own voice. It was a tone of sadness, and even a bit of fear. "What have they done to you?"
Her onyx eyes narrowed. "How do you know my name, old man?"
"Can you truly not remember?" he asked, willing himself to stay calm.
He became distracted only for a moment, to plunge his sword into a nearby orc.
Her face was oddly blank, but soon she spoke. "That's right. You are Mithrandir, the man who would be savior," she said snidely.
Gandalf cringed inwardly. "While that is the truth, to you I was known as Gandalf. Try to remember Abigail," he pleaded.
Her face only contorted more. "You have no right to use my name, it's sickening. And I am sick of you!" she shouted, drawing her daggers and leaping out him.
Knowing there was no way he would block her with a sword, Gandalf stuck his staff out and punched her in the stomach. As the two connected a short white light emitted and she was shocked back.
She tumbled to the ground, but rolled over into a crouch. "Heh, almost forgot you were a wizard," she mumbled.
"Gandalf! Denethor has lost his mind! He's burning Faramir alive!" The white wizard could hear Pippin shouting from within the crowed. He gave Abigail a piteous look, realizing he would have to help her later. He didn't want to risk Pippin seeing her, not in this state.
He kicked Shadowfax, and rode into the mob. In seconds he found Pippin's bushy head and wordlessly pulled him onto the horse.
With no time for explanations, Gandalf glanced back and could only be relieved that Abigail was not following them.
'The longer she stays in that state of mind, the more dangerous she will become,' he thought worriedly. This battle had taken a large turn for the worse.
"Hurry, Gandalf, there isn't much time!" Pippin urged.
"No, Peregrin, there is not," he murmured.
Abigail's POV
She had decided to let the old fool go. Besides, it looked like to her he was just running away.
She stood up slowly and cracked her neck, watching the escalating battle before her. Above her she could hear the unearthly cry of the Nazgûl.
"Men are so pitiful. The say they honor courage, and then they plead without shame," she said vehemently.
She raised her daggers and charged at a horde of soldiers, already killing two with one swing of each hand.
OoOoOoOoOo
Aragorn stood unwavering on the deck of the Corsair Ship. Well, unwavering except for the twitch in his nose. The Army of the Dead had successfully rid the ship of the men, but they had gotten rid of their stench.
His appearance was calm, but Aragorn's mind was scattered. Everything had changed for him now.
The supposed love of his life was no longer in his life, to begin with. And the mere fact that this ghostly army followed him was proof that he was, without a doubt, the true heir to the throne of Gondor.
'Am I sailing towards my future kingdom now?' he mused.
And then there was the large part of his mind that was still replaying his last 'conversation' with Abigail.
Sometimes he wondered if it was all a trick; that she wasn't in any trouble at all. But afterwards, something in his heart told him that her message had been true.
"Next time we meet will be on the battlefield…. No matter what I say or look like next time we meet, I'm still there."
"But when will next time be?" he sighed dejectedly. It felt like that woman was determined to make life difficult for him…but he still worried.
"Aragorn," Legolas called from the bow of the ship. "I see smoke in the distance. I think it might be Minas Tirith!"
Aragorn looked behind him, not shocked to see the deadly ghost leader already floating there.
"Let's get ready, like we planned," Aragorn said.
The ghost nodded, and disappeared through the deck.
Aragorn turned back around, standing tall and anxiously wondering what awaited him on shore.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
It's very late, so I'm just going to go ahead and post them.
I'll update tomorrow with ending comments and reviewer thank you's, so for now I'll say.
THANK YOU TONS TO ALL REVIEWERS IN THE WORLD!
Izzy: Yeah, that should cover most of them.
UPDATED SECTION:
Phew, it is about damn time I posted this chapter, eh? If you want some form of an explanation…what happened was I split this chapter into two parts, so I could add better content to both. Meaning the next chapter is partially formed, but I really only have a couple pages of it.
Also, since I did not complete my first finishing date, my new end date will be to finish before this story's one-year mark in November. I hope I make it this time.
Anyway, thanks to marvelous reviewers:
TheWall: Thanks for the praise!
Narnian Sprite: Practically all authors have a dark side, and they just love to show it through cliffy's and plot twists. Am I right or am I right? Lol, thanks for the review!
childofthekng: Glad my dreamscapes worked for you, I was wondering how people would react. I do think the movie does a brilliant job of retelling the story, but I always want to make sure I add my own persona to this version. Thank you!
writin4fun15: Wow, I whole truck full. This is a new level of kudo-ness. Glad you enjoyed the chapter, and as always thanks for the reviews (and kudos, of course!)
Samantha-Girl Scout: Ohh, bad idea to let Izzy have control of the mob. She'll break a nail and take it out on me, letting the mob kill me in the process. Then where will we be?
Izzy: At your funeral! Ha! (laughs at her own joke)
MN9: (twitch) You're digging your own grave Izzy. Anyway, thank you for the review!
Estel Ashlee Snape: Don't blame you for almost forgetting, it was quite a long break. But I plan on getting back into the swing of things now. Thanks!
Valinor's Twilight: Yeah for happy thoughts! Thanks for reviewing!
Nelarun: Australia, hmm? Been there once, had a blast. Anyway, I applaud you for making it through all 51 chapters, and it makes me very fuzzy inside to hear that emotions were well portrayed. Thank you very much, and I hope you review again!
Lady Aphadriel-order of the...: Maybe you should be worried that you might actually be able to follow my twisted mind…(just kidding). I promise, the twins still have a part to play. Thank you!
ArwenEvenstar83: Yeah, good Abby is a great fighter already; dark Abby is going to be downright scary (you'll have to let me know what you think). Thank you for reviewing!
CrystalMind: I sympathize with your school preparation. I start very soon myself. I'm glad you enjoyed seeing the twins, and you will see them again! Let me know what you think, and thanks a lot!
QueenieMeanie: First off, I'm really excited to hear you think my writing had improved (I guess a 20-page English paper will do that for you). I am also extremely please that you decided to give my story a chance. I know there are tons of 'girl falls into Middle Earth' fics, but I would like to think mine is unique in at least a couple ways. Thanks very much, and please post again, I would love to read your ongoing opinion!
Until next time!
-MysticNight9