ANDREA
I squint around me, everything blurry right now until I blink a few times. When I can see where I am it makes me wish things were blurry again. I'm in the Orc tower! An Orc and Uruk-Hai are fighting over my iPod, the little device—as Ash would say—deader than the Stark family. "Hey, hands off! That shiny thing is mine," the Uruk-Hai growls.
"It's going to the Great Eye, along with everything else," the Orc replies. I roll my eyes, my bound hands going to my neck out of instinct to clutch at the Ring…. Except it's not there anymore. Oh shit, this ain't good! I struggle against my bonds as subtly as I can, chewing at the rope that binds my hands, but a toothless rat had a better chance at gnawing through this crap. Ugh, it tastes so bad! I was nearly ready to sob in frustration when a fight breaks out between the Orcs and Uruk-Hais below. I struggle harder than ever as a ferocious noise below signals the Uruk-Hai seem to be winning.
"Oh God, this can't be happening right now! Where are my damn shoes," I scream at the top of my lungs, throwing my head back.
"Stop your screaming, you dunghill rat," an Orc growls, drawing a sword and pointing it at me. "I'm gonna bleed you like a stuck pig!" Another sword pierces through his armor and out of his chest before he could do any such thing.
"Not if I stick you first," Sammy states, pushing the Orc away.
"Sammy," I shout in relief, almost ready to cry at the mere sight of him. "You're alive! You're alive and you're deadly!" Sammy uses his blade to cut me free, pulling me to my feet.
"Come on," he says urgently when I just stand where I am, looking at him in disbelief and shame.
"It's too late, they took the Ring while I was unconscious." Sam gives me a cheeky smile, pulling out a familiar object from his pocket, holding it aloft for me to see. The Ring, Sammy's had it all this time! "You wouldn't happen to have my shoes in there too, would ya?" I take the Ring from him and slip the chain over my head, the Ring itself resting in the hollow of my throat.
"Sorry, Andi, but I found these boots in that pile O' stuff over in the corner." I pull the boots on, hoping I don't get any foot fungus from them. "Now come on, we'd best get out of here while we still can." We disguise ourselves in Orc gear before sneaking out, figuring it to be the safer path, before sneaking out of the watchtower past dying beasts.
"Ugh, this armor stinks."
"Well, it's had a dead man in it." I seriously wish Sam was kidding, but I knew from the funky stains that he was as honest as ever.
"I'm sorry I was such a bitch when I sent you away."
"I'm here now, Andi, and I'm not leaving you again." He smiles up at me as we continue to walk, patting my arm. We stop on a peak, gazing ahead at the mountain in Mordor as it spits ash and lava high into the air. I'm pretty sure that's a safety violation. "We did it, Andi, we made it into Mordor." Sam and I share a hesitant look before striking out once more for our destination, closer to it than ever before. Hundreds of fires burn on the plains below us, Orc camps and a mine field for the two of us. There must be over a thousand. How the heck are we supposed to sneak past them to Mount Doom? My eye is drawn away from the camp to a large black shape where a red light is emanating from, sweeping over the fields.
"It's the Eye," I whisper to Sam. Sammy looks at me confused for a moment before shrugging my statement off.
"We have to go in there, Andi. There's nothing for it. Come on, let's just make it down the hill for starters." I let out a childish whine, but follow the Hobbit's example and start down the steep path into the camp.
"I'm gonna get shanked by one of these bastards, I just know it."