CHAPTER II: AMON SUL

You aren't going to try again, are you, mister Frodo? Sam whispered following his master's gaze that had been caught by the stranger again. They had stopped near a river to rest. The Hobbits were clearly exhausted and also Victoria was starting to feel tired, even if she didn't complain like Merry and Pippin did. When they had stopped, she had sat down under a tree and she had closed her eyes. After a minute, she had opened them again and she had whistled that strange tune. Immediately, her hawk had landed on her arm. Frodo didn't bother to answer to Sam and slowly approached the two companions, like there was not one, but two hawks that could be frightened and fly away.     

He's beautiful, he said, stopping about half a meter away from them.

Yeah, he is… Victoria replied almost casually, as she stroked his feathers. Come here…Frodo, right? The Hobbit nodded. Would you like to hold him for a while?

Well…Aye. Now he was right beside her, his cloak brushing against her…

Stretch out your arm, Victoria ordered. Frodo did as she said and the hawk jumped from his master's arm to his own.    

Wow… he murmured, ecstatic. Once, when I was a boy, Bilbo took me to the see the hawks…but I've never been so close. May…May I stroke him?  

Victoria frowned. I don't know if he let you…He's not a social type. She looked away. Just like me…

Frodo didn't say anything and instead he hesitantly tried to graze the hawk's feathers with the back of his fingers, like she had done. He was ready to pull his hand back had the hawk tried to peck him, but there was no need of it. When he looked back at the girl, she was watching them with half a smile on her face. 

You must be special, Frodo Baggins… she murmured. Usually, Duke doesn't let strangers touch him.

It's his name? Duke?

Victoria nodded without averting her eyes. He definitely likes you, she commented as the hawk roosted on his shoulder and studied him with his yellow eyes. Usually he's not so friendly with strangers.

And you do like me? Frodo asked, looking from Duke to Victoria.

The girl hesitated. Well…I prefer appealing to the Fifth Amendment. 

The what?

The Fifth Amendment. It's a law that gives me the right not to answer.

I see, he murmured before changing the subject. How did you train him? 

I wasn't his trainer.

Frodo seemed puzzled. I thought that all the hawks were trained by their masters…

Masters? Now it was Victoria who was puzzled. I'm not his master. I told you, he's like me. He has no master… her voice lowered, on her eyes fell a veil of sadness. …at least, no more.

Frodo opened his mouth to ask her what she meant but then closed it without a sound. It would very rude of him to ask her such a cheeky question and then he was sure he'd hurt her. He wanted to avoid that at any cost. Victoria was already upset on her own. There was no need to aggravate that situation with tactless questions…also because he couldn't foretell her reaction.    

Come on, said Strider. It's time to go.

A few hours later, they marched on the hills. When Victoria looked away from the big circles that Duke was drawing in the sky, she saw a hill taller than the others. Over its top, there were some ruins. Blocks of stone, towers, corridors, rooms…they were far away, but she could see them with her imagination's eyes. Their frame stood out against the cloudy sky, a challenge to time and elements.  

Did you fall asleep? Merry's voice woke her. Hurry or we'll leave you here.

She hadn't even realized she had stopped walking. In a few strides she joined them, coming near Frodo and Sam.

Strider! she called.

The Ranger turned toward her and she asked him all in a go, pointing to the ruins. What place is that? What was it?   

Frodo turned to look at her. There was something new in her voice. It sounded excited, amazed, curious and kind of spellbound…Now her face looked like a child's.   

The ranger stared at the ruins with reverence and regret. This was the great watchtower of Amon Sul. He turned to them. We shall rest here tonight. 

On the top of the hill, Strider let his gaze wander among the hills below. He was worried. He turned toward his fellow-travelers and his eyes met the young human's ones. From that look, he understood that she felt his anxiety. Victoria looked away and the Ranger called the Hobbits and knelt down near a bundle he had placed on the ground. He unrolled it and four little swords were shown. These are for you, he said handing them out Keep them close. He got back to his feet and his gaze met again the young girl's. I am sorry, Lady Victoria, but I have none for  you.

What could she do with a sword? Merry spoke up. Drop it on her own foot?    

Girls are silly and clumsy. Pippin backed him up.

Victoria's eyes narrowed. Do you wanna see how this silly and clumsy girl beats you black and blue? she replied as her right hand disappeared under her cloak.  

Enough! Stirder ordered. This is no time for quarreling. He sighed. I'm going to have around. Stay here and try to be quiet.

Sir, yes, sir… Victoria muttered.

Frodo, exhausted, laid himself on the ground and fell asleep after a few seconds. 

He was awakened almost one hour later by the hearth and the cracking of a fire.

What are you doing? he cried out, sitting up quickly.

Tomatoes, sausages, nice crispy bacon! replied Merry with a smile that almost reached his ears. 

We saved some for you, Mister Frodo, said Sam, handing him a plate, but Frodo didn't care.

Put it out, you fools, put it out! he shouted, running to trample down the flames. 

That's nice! Ash on my tomatoes! Pippin whined, trying to wipe it off. 

What's this mess? Victoria asked, coming out from another room right in that moment. Just a glance at the smoking ashes of the hearth was enough to understand.  

You little… she started, looking menacingly at Merry and Pippin, but she never finished. An inhuman, piercing scream ripped the air, freezing their blood in their veins. They ran to the border of the hill just in time to see four black-cloaked forms gliding toward them in the mist, silent and horrible as ghosts.     

Wha-what are those? Victoria whispered, scared. 

Frodo unsheathed his sword and caught the girl's arm at the same time. Go!

They hurriedly climbed a stair to the very top of the tower. They were trapped. There was no escape from there. Panicked, confused, lost, they turned everywhere to see the attackers arrive, to try to drive them back…and finally they came. They emerged from the darkness, darker than shadow itself, with the striding creaking noise of their footsteps on the stone and the screeching of metal against metal. The Hobbits and the girl backed away, the first scared, the second staring at their aggressors, trying to understand…

Back, you devils! Sam shouted launching  himself at them, but his blow was easily parried. The Hobbit was thrown aside, soon followed by Merry and Pippin. Now there were only Frodo and Victoria left. A Nazgul turned toward them his horrible faceless head. The Hobbit almost dropped his sword. He backed away, but he stumbled and fell losing his only weapon. The Nazgul glided toward them. A Wraith was free with his hands to seize the girl but she quickly pulled out from under her cloak a thin wooden stick and pointed it against him shouting, Expelliarmus! A flash of crimson light hit him, throwing him against a column. Victoria aimed at another Wraith who was coming near Frodo and shouted, Stupeficium! But to her great horror, the Stunner passed through him without doing him any damage. She hadn't time to cast another spell because another Nazgul assaulted her, seizing her by her throat and lifting her off the ground. She tried to kick but it was useless. He didn't even feel her blows. The Nazgul tightened his grip on her neck, not allowing her to breathe, and raised his armed arm to strike her. Right as he prepared to bury his sword in her stomach – he was already foretasting the hot human blood that soon would have tinged with red his iron-gloved hands and his black cloak – when something unbelievable happened. The half-unconscious girl's eyes opened suddenly and rolled back, lit by a green light, and a silvery aura wrapped her body. Her left hand seized him by his wrist with unexpected strength and firmness. He didn't have time to be astonished because a flash of purple light hit him violently, forcing him to lose his grip and drop on the ground, a prey to a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time -- pain. Victoria turned to Frodo, but she saw nothing but a black knight bending down toward nothing. She felt a soft, evil voice in the air around her, but she couldn't understand its words. It sounded like an order, a call…   

Vicky, look out! Sam shouted and the girl drew aside just in time to avoid being transfixed by another Nazgul. She hit him with a Lightning making him step back, but part of her head was somewhere else. She saw Sam, Merry, and Pippin…But where was Frodo?

She didn't know that as she fought the first Nazgul, Frodo had put on the Ring, thinking it could save him from the Wraiths. It had been like being thrown in another dimension. Everything around him, even the stones, looked violently shaken by an hurricane. The only thing he could make out clearly were the Nazgul he had hoped to escape from. Yes, now he saw them clearly and, in his whole life, he had never seen something more horrible. They were living corpses, masses of rotting flesh where the features of their old faces were still grotesquely distinguishable. He saw a strange silver light out of the corner of his eye but he couldn't mind it. The Ring's voice spread in the air and his left hand, where he wore it, rose toward a Nazgul like it had its own will. The Nazgul reached out with his skeletonic fingers to touch the Ring, but with an huge effort Frodo managed to draw his hand back. The Wraith rose and wounded him with his dagger. An atrocious pain shot through his limbs and the young Hobbit let out a heart-rending scream.

Victoria heard that scream and recognized his voice immediately. She freed herself of the Wraith she was fighting with and her eyes, still lit by that green light, started to search desperately among the ruins but without finding anything. As the Wraith went against her again with a fellow, she felt panic growing stronger inside of her. Right in that moment, almost sent from Above, arrived Strider, his sword in one hand and a blazing branch in the other. Seeing the fire, the creatures drew back, letting out screeches of terror.  

"So, the fire can destroy them!" Victoria thought as her eyes became normal again and the silvery aura faded. Frodo's pained screams, Sam's anguished ones, and the Wraiths' horrified ones filled the air, freezing her blood in her veins.Victoria wobbled, coming back for a moment in another place and another time not very far, but pulled herself together and threw herself furiously in the battle. Strider had already set two of those beings on fire when Victoria showed up by his side, clenching a wooden stick in her hand. Go away, girl! he shouted, parrying a blow. As an answer, Victoria pointed the stick against the Wraith, shouting, Incendio! From its tip was given off a yellow light that clashed into the Wraith, setting his cloak on fire. She turned around and did the same with a retreating Nazgul, while the Man threw his torch against the last enemy, who was trying to go near the Hobbits. The Ranger turned to the girl, not lowering his sword. Who…What are you? he asked astonished, staring at her.

Not now… she murmured, marching decidedly toward the Hobbits. What happened? she asked them, kneeling down next to Pippin.  

Help him, Strider, Sam begged him, as the Ranger picked up the dagger.

He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade, he murmured as the dagger crumbled to dust. This is beyond my skill to heal, he needs Elvish medicine.

He lifted the Hobbit, who kept screaming in pain, and launched him on his shoulder. 

Their race against time had started.