It has been a while, I know. But I've had so many plot bunnies running around in my head that they haven't been able to make it down to paper for a while. This one was in competition with SPB, my new story that I have to say is very enjoyable to write. HP:CO is coming along, though it may be a while before I add another chapter onto that one. Or that could be the next story I update. I saw Half-Blood Prince at the movies and it was AWESOME!!! Enough said.

The ending of this chapter was hard for me to write, and I know many of you will actually hate me when you read it. I just have to say, and I will say this at the end too, THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER, there is still another chapter after this so don't panic!

Warnings: Death.

Key:

"Blah" Westron

"Blah" Elvish

Blah Thoughts/Telepathy

The Immortal Hero

Chapter 14

Tegalad looked at the distance they needed to cover. It was a long way, but not impossible to cross. The obstacles they would need to pass though, that was worrying. Looking at their clothing, torn, bloodied, dirty, Tegalad knew that they would never pass as orcs travelling around. So as he drew his plans, he mentally cringed and looked away from the hobbits.

"We need clothes to blend in, we stand out too much," he said softly. "We will stand out because of our height anyway, but having their armor on would let us pass if they were to merely glance at us."

"We'll have more difficulty finding something for you to wear Tegalad," Sam said as he ran his eyes over the elfling's small frame. "I doubt that any orc would be as small as you are."

Tegalad glared up at the hobbit before looking back outside. Frodo laughed with difficulty and put his hand on the elfling's shoulder, ignoring the tensing.

"Clothing…should be…alright," he said comfortingly, before a large smile broke out on his face. "The…helmet…on the…other hand."

Tegalad tried to glare but caught Sam's expression. His eyes had tears in them and he was looking amazed at Frodo. He had a relieved smile on his face and he looked like he was mouthing the word "thank you" over and over again. When Tegalad looked at Frodo, saw the dark circles under his eyes and the forbidding look they had, he could see why Sam was amazed. Up until that moment, Tegalad would have bet money on the fact that Frodo probably hadn't laughed since they separated from the Fellowship, he may have forgotten how.

"Let us go," Tegalad said as he started to walk outside. "Those clothes will not fall into our arms."

The two hobbits snickered but nevertheless followed the elfling out of their cave and towards more dangerous territory.

It took the good portion of two hours to find any clothes that came close to their sizes. Sam was able to find his within the first half hour, and had then spent the next twenty minutes parading around the fact that he was now disguised and his companions weren't. Harry had then flicked the hobbit's ear and silently ordered him to continue looking for small armor.

Frodo had found his armor next, and while the clothing fit, the helmet was another story. No matter where they looked, it appeared that each helmet would be exactly the same size. Frodo had ripped up some fabric pieces and stuffed it into the helmet so that he could see out through the eye holes.

Tegalad, on the other hand, didn't find anything close to his size. In the end he just grabbed the nearest bit of armor, slipped it over his shoulders and dropped a helmet over his head. The three of them then spent half an hour attempting to stop the armor from slipping and ensuring that the elfling could still see when he had the helmet on. The three of them looked quite entertaining, but from a distance they would look like orcs.

By the time they were all done and dressed, they were no where near their final destination. It was within sight, but unless they were willing to go around the long way, and risk time they knew that they didn't have, they would have to walk right through ten thousand orcs.

"I don't know about you," Sam whispered quietly. "But I don't think that we could actually make it through there. Should we try and go around?"

"I don't…know," Frodo croaked. "I…have this…feeling that we…don't have much…time…left."

"We should get as close as we can," Tegalad told them both. "That way, should something happen, we will be ready to move."

"Sounds good," Sam said. Frodo nodded his agreement. "Let's start moving. That mountain isn't getting any closer while we stand still."
Tegalad nodded and started to walk forward. His back pack was underneath his armor, making it easier to keep the large armor from falling from his shoulders. His helmet, no matter what they did, kept falling into his eyes. He found that if he tilted his head back slightly, he could see under the rim of the helmet and it stopped him from walking into anything. He figured that it made him look arrogant as well, not encouraging any other orcs to come up to them.

Frodo and Sam walked behind him, far away enough that they could talk together without the elfling from hearing, but close enough that they could help out in an emergency. Frodo was leaning on Sam's arm his strength having been slowly declining and he was finding it difficult to walk significant distances without assistance.

"How do you think he does it?" Sam asked his friend softly. "How does he just keep going after everything that's happened?"

"By pretending…it didn't," Frodo replied. "When…this is all…over…then he'll…deal with…it."

"That's not healthy," Sam whispered.

"Don't…we do it…though?" Frodo asked. "We don't think…of what we've done…only what…we need to…do."

"I think about the others," Sam muttered. "I hope that they're alright."

"But do you…think that…you'll see…them again?" Frodo asked. "Realistically?"

"I suppose not," Sam muttered. "At least not recently. I've always hoped that we would."

"At least…we know that…they're all…alive," Frodo stated.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "But for how much longer? There's a war going on. What are the chances that we'll all survive?"

"You can not think like that," Tegalad suddenly stated. He had stopped walking to allow the two hobbits to catch up, and neither one of them had noticed as they were too intent on their own conversation. "You can not give up on hope, for what is left if hope is gone?"

"Your own war taught you this?" Sam asked sadly.

"I had to believe that everyone was still alive, that there was still something to fight for," Tegalad whispered. "Because if I didn't, if I stopped thinking that there was someone there for me to fight for, what was the point of continuing? The fate of this world rests around your neck Frodo, if you don't find it in yourself to finish this, who else is left?"

"I will ensure that this is finished," Sam stated passionately. Tegalad smiled at him, but it was a sad smile, as if he knew something that the hobbit didn't and it wasn't a good thing.

"I only hope that it will not come to that," Tegalad whispered before turning and walking away again. "I can only hope that we all survive this day."

Neither Sam nor Frodo knew what to say to that. Instead they scurried after the small elfling as quickly as they could. Neither wanted think about what could happen if the Ring wasn't destroyed, and they both knew that they were running out of time.

Tegalad knew that the hobbits had been talking about him, and he knew that he would have to talk to them. He had to give them a reason to continue fighting, a reason to do what they needed to do. It was the same thing he had told himself numerous times during his stay as Voldemort's "guest". It had worked for the first few weeks, but it got harder and harder for him to believe that there were still people out there that needed his help.

He was glad that his impromptu speech had encouraged the two hobbits, renewed their strength a little. They would need everything they had in order to get into Mt. Doom and destroy that damned ring.

They reached the top of a small hill, overlooking the greater part of the army. Both the hobbits groaned in horror while Tegalad merely sighed in resignation. While he knew that there were ten thousand orcs, knowing and actually seeing them were two different things. He instantly started to look for a relatively easy path through the thousands of enemy creatures. They could go around but that would add at least another day onto their travels, something that the elfling knew they wouldn't be able to afford.

"What are we going to do?" Sam asked in dismay. "There are too many of them. There's no way we can get through there without being detected!"

Tegalad didn't reply. Instead he frowned and stared at the Burning Eye that had haunted his dreams almost since he had seen it that day in Isengard. It was focused off towards where the Black Gate was, almost as if something was happening on the other side of it.

"Something is happening," Tegalad whispered as the orcs below them started to move. Sam and Frodo moved to his side and crouched down. It seemed as if every orc in Mordor was making its way towards the Gate.

"Good Lord," Sam whispered. Frodo nodded his agreement and looked towards where Mt. Doom now stood alone. Now there was no one in their way. The two hobbits began to walk towards the volcano, but Tegalad hesitated. He stared at the place where the orcs were going; he knew that whoever was drawing them out was doing it for the hobbits. He wondered what had happened to Aragorn and the others, and if they knew he had disappeared on them.

"Are you…coming Tegalad?" Frodo asked having noticed the elfling wasn't with them.

"Yes," Tegalad replied slowly. "I just want to see something first."

He called upon his fire element and sent a small ball of flames, about the size of his palm, towards the Gate. He kept it low to the ground to avoid detection and had it observe what was happening. It was a trick he had thought of during the war back on Earth but never attempted it. The idea of the small ball was to record pictures and bring them back, or to establish a communication with whoever it was sent to. This particular one was to record pictures and send them back to him.

"What…are you…doing?" Frodo asked once he saw the ball disappear. Tegalad held out one hand for silence and focused on directing the ball. He held it at the Gate for thirty seconds before calling it back. The flames wrapped around his hand as blurry images appeared in his mind.

"Just having a look," Tegalad told the curious hobbit before standing. "Come, me must hurry."

Frodo and Sam stared at the small elfling but agreed anyway. Their time was running out.

Tegalad led the hobbits through the now deserted camp ground as quickly as he could. The images he had gathered from his fire ball were blurry in patches but he could guess what was happening. He could recognise exactly who was at the Gate but didn't have the heart to tell Frodo and Sam who it was. He himself was both ecstatic and sad that Aragorn was there. He was happy because it meant that the ranger had survived the battle at Minas Tirith and made it though the mountain unscathed, but it made him sad to know that he may just die at the Gates of Mordor anyway. He recognised a diversion when he saw one, even if the Burning Eye didn't.

He had also been heartened when he recognised Legolas and Gimli fighting side-by-side, along with Merry and Pippin who were once again reunited, and even Gandalf who stood out in his white robes. The soldiers that stood against the army of Mordor knew that there was a high possibility that they would die that day, but still they fought to give Frodo time to destroy the Ring. He recognised quite a few of them from when he rode with them, or even helped them out at Helms Deep.

Tegalad knew that if they weren't quick then the entire diversion would have been a waste of life, and the world would fall to darkness. Yet no matter how hard he pushed, the hobbits simply didn't have the energy to keep going. They lacked good food and sleep, and despite the water they had consumed it simply wasn't enough to keep them moving. Frodo was also weighed down by the Ring he wore around his neck, the Ring that didn't want to be destroyed because that would mean Sauron would die for good.

Tegalad pulled the helmet off of his head and tossed it to the ground. The lack of orcs around made it unnecessary for them to be dressed up in such ridiculous costumes. He kept moving as he pulled the armor over his shoulders and dropped it with a satisfied smirk on his face. Feeling much lighter, he turned to the hobbits and grinned. Frodo quickly followed his example but he actually threw the helmet as far as he could with a laugh. Tegalad's grin widened and the two of them looked to Sam who reluctantly took his own armor off. The hobbit grumbled about how much effort had gone into finding the disguises, only for them to be discarded carelessly.

The other two ignored him and continued walking. Tegalad handed over his water bag to Frodo who took it gratefully before passing it to Sam. With only the smallest amount of water left over, Tegalad ignored his own parched throat and continued walking. He had been without water for a much longer time and he knew that the other two would need it more than he did. They were almost at the base of the volcano, but there would be a steady hike that they would have to attempt to get to the top.

There was one nerve racking moment when the Burning Eye moved its gaze away from the Gate to focus on its lands. Neither hobbit had seen the movement but had dropped at Tegalad's command, letting the gaze brush past them as they couldn't be seen. Tegalad kept them down as the Eye seemed to focus on the rock he was hidden behind. Starting to panic at being the centre of attention, Tegalad closed his eyes in order to calm down. He felt something brush against his mind and his eyes sprung open in horror. There was amusement in his mind clearly not his own, with an undercurrent of anger.

He ordered the two hobbits to go on without him before darting out of his hiding place and running back the way they had come. The Eye followed him, as was his intention, before he Jumped sideways about one hundred metres. It threw off the Eye's gaze and he hid behind a rock in order to not be seen. The hobbits were nearing the mountain so they should be alright to get there on their own. What he needed to worry about was himself.

The Burning Eye raked its gaze across the ground around him, searching for him. The presence in his mind was still there and obviously was tracking him without the Eye. Tegalad pressed himself against the rock, making himself as small as possible. This was a kind of enemy he couldn't fight. His torturers and Voldemort he had always known he could get back at and get his revenge, but this enemy was already dead. It didn't have a physical form beyond that of the Eye, but somehow it managed to frighten him much more than any other.

Why do you hide Little One?

Tegalad almost jumped out of his skin at the strange voice in his mind. He assumed that this would be similar to telepathy, but couldn't for the life of him convince himself to calm down. Especially since it was more than likely that Sauron was the one speaking with him.

Little One? Come out where I can see you. I want to see you clearly. The glimpse of you in the Stone wasn't enough to satisfy my curiosity.

Tegalad shivered in dread. He had known that Pippin was thought to have the Ring after his adventure with the Stone, but it had never crossed his mind that he might be under the same scrutiny. He knew that he was safe in that regard but he had no idea what this Dark Lord wanted with him.

You shouldn't keep me waiting. I can make this very unpleasant for you.

Tegalad shivered again. This time there was a threat in the voice and Tegalad knew that who ever it was talking to him wouldn't hesitate to inflict pain on him. Reluctantly he stood up and moved into the light. The Eye fastened onto him instantly and he flinched unconsciously. He could feel the emotions from the intruder mind flickering through curiosity, shock, amusement, glee and triumph. He kept his eyes on the ground and tried his best not to fidget.

What a curiosity you are. My informants told me a hobbit had my Ring, but then I saw you. You have been touched by darkness already but I can see that you do not have it. Where is it?

Tegalad remained silent, not moving even as the heat from the Eye increased. He could hear the battle taking place near the Gate, the war cries and the dying howls mingling together. He focused on what was occurring there rather than think of Frodo and the Ring, never-mind where he imagined they should be.

It should not matter soon, Sauron continued when it became clear that the elfling wouldn't answer. I shall soon have a new host, one they would hesitate to destroy, of they decide to at all.

Tegalad felt his heart drop to his stomach, and his stomach drop to somewhere near his feet. He suddenly had a really bad feeling about where this conversation was going. The amusement in his mind became more prominent.

Yes. You would make a wonderful host. Who would think that the Dark Lord Sauron, a sorcerer of the most powerful, would lower himself to possessing the body of a child, an elfling at that? It helps that you are quite powerful, powerful enough that you would survive my possession of you. I would remain undiscovered for years, and by then I would have already gathered a support group and the world would soon be mine!

Tegalad shivered in fear. He would willingly kill himself before allowing himself to be possessed by such a dark creature. It was bad enough that Sauron had created a Horcrux of his Ring, there was no way he would sacrifice his soul so that it would become the same thing.

You won't escape me Little One. Together we will destroy this place. Well, I will destroy it and you will be forced to watch it. Even if my Ring is destroyed, this is my fail safe. I will live forever.

Tegalad shook his head in denials as he backed away. Sauron laughed in him mind as he turned and ran. He ran as if the army of Mordor was on his heels, towards the volcano.

As he ran the Eye turned its attention back to the battle, content with the fact that he would survive the end of the war in one way or another. Tegalad ran as fast as his small legs would carry him, jumping over rocks and orc campsites without a care. His wounds didn't bother him in the slightest as adrenaline rushed through his veins.

Frodo and Sam should be on the mountain already, hopefully close to the top so that they wouldn't have far to go. That ring needed to be destroyed as soon as physically possible, and then Tegalad could worry about his own fate.

He hit the base of the mountain with a renewed burst of energy and ran up as quickly as he could. Several times his legs gave way under loose rock and as a result blood coated his knees from where the skin had broken and his hands had gravel burns on them. But still he got up and continued on. He needed to get to the top and finish what they had started. Already many soldiers had died at the Gate; it was only a matter of time before all of them were overrun.

Tegalad spotted the door into the mountain after another few minutes of running. Near the door, clearly with the intention of entering, was a creature hunched over on itself and as pale as any creature would be without much contact with the sun. Tegalad remembered the stories Sam had told him about the creature known as Gollum. Frodo had insisted that the creature's name was Sméagol, as that was the name he had been born and lived with before he was corrupted by the Ring.

Gollum hadn't seen him as he continued to make his way up, the pitiful creature was muttering to itself and Tegalad could make out a few words when he came closer. He was muttering about someone called "precious" and how the "hobbitses" were "fat and stupid". Tegalad slowed down his tiring jog and spoke to the creature.

"I hope you do not think that you will stop the hobbits," he said clearly. Gollum jumped in fright and turned around to see who the new person was. For several moments they inspected each other, one in curiosity and one in disgust. Tegalad was only curious about what the Ring could do to someone after near constant exposure for a few hundred years, and how they reacted when the Ring was suddenly not there anymore. Gollum, on the other hand, had seen Tegalad's ears and instantly hated the elfling.

"Why do you not want the Ring destroyed?" Tegalad asked after a while. He could see the silhouette of the two hobbits inside but knew that they hadn't destroyed the Ring yet.

"Precious is ours! They stoles it from us!" Gollum replied sharply. "Our precious!"

"If it is not destroyed then it will still be taken from you. There are many people who would kill you to get to that Ring," Tegalad said as he moved closer to the door. "It's so much easier if it were to be destroyed now rather than later."

"NO!!!"

Tegalad ducked to the side at the last minute as Gollum dove towards him in anger. He rolled to his feet easily and his sword appeared in his hand in the hopes of discouraging the deformed hobbit from attacking again. He held the sword out in front of him, the point of it directing towards Gollum. Gollum turned towards Tegalad again and, ignoring the sword, charged again. Tegalad's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't actually thought that Gollum would continue his attack after being faced with a weapon.

He was wrong.

Gollum threw himself onto the point of the blade before the elfling could move to the side. Tegalad stared in horror as the body fell almost to the hilt and flayed around. He quickly adjusted the sword so that Gollum would be lying on the ground and pulled the sword free. Gollum started to choke on his own blood as the life quickly faded from his eyes. Tegalad put his hand on the dying creature's shoulder and whispered in his ear quietly.

"You will find peace in the immortal lands."

Gollum stilled as the last of his strength disappeared. His eyes clouded over and some blood fell from his slightly open mouth. Tegalad closed Gollum's eyes respectfully and stood up. He turned his back on the body and forced his tired legs into a slight jog so that he could catch up with the hobbits.

Frodo was standing on the edge of the pathway dangling the Ring over the boiling lava churning below them. Sam was slightly behind him, yelling at his friend to drop the Ring, not understanding why he hadn't yet. Tegalad jogged behind them and had a sudden feeling of déjà vu. He almost feared to turn around and see the Eye, and barely managed to focus on Frodo and the dark whispers surrounding him.

"Frodo," he called out as he stood beside Sam. Sam jumped in surprise at his sudden appearance before focusing back on Frodo.

"Destroy it!" Sam cried desperately. Tegalad's eyes widened in horror as the whispers seemed to strengthen. Frodo turned around and stared at Sam with clouded eyes and a malicious grin. He whispered one word and brought the Ring back from the edge.

"No."

Tegalad held out his hand as if to stop Frodo from doing what he was about to do, no matter how hopeless it seemed to be. Time seemed to freeze around them as the One Ring slid onto Frodo's finger as his body seemed to disappear into thin air. Unable to help himself, Tegalad turned around to look at the entrance and gasped at the sight of the Eye staring straight at them.

So, it was a hobbit who had my Ring, just not the one whom I was led to believe had it.

Tegalad whipped his body back around and started to search for where Frodo was. Using his control of the air element he bounced off the invisible body to locate it. He pushed Sam backwards before stepping forward confidently. Looking at the floor he could see where Frodo was walking. His body may have been invisible but it didn't mean that it wasn't there.

"Frodo," he said clearly. The rush of flames around them seemed to quiet. Frodo's footprints stopped moving around and Tegalad looked to where he imagined Frodo's eyes would be. "Do not do this. You still have your whole life ahead of you. Your uncle, remember him? Is this what he would want for you? What about your friends? If you let him win, then think of what will happen to your home. You told me that you would see this to the end. Are you going to give up just like that? So close to the end?"

Tegalad could see how Frodo was fighting. The whispers around him were becoming weaker. The hobbit obviously didn't want to give up and was giving it his best effort to see his quest to the end.

"Take off the Ring, cast it into the fire," he ordered softly. "You are almost free of him."

Yes, you are certainly a strange child, Sauron murmured in his mind. Is it because you think you can still defeat me, or did you want him to stay alive? He won't you know, I won't let him. He tried to defeat me, he will pay the price for that, as will his Halfling friends, the young King who thinks he can defeat me, the meddlesome elves, and any other that has or will oppose me. I cannot be defeated.

Tegalad ignored the voice in his mind as he continued to prompt Frodo to destroy the Ring. It may be his hero-saving thing, but he couldn't just let Frodo die. If he could get them out before he made it impossible for Sauron to possess him, then he would.

Frodo suddenly reappeared in front of them, much to Sam's delight and Tegalad's relief. The hobbit looked torn so Tegalad gently turned him towards the edge of the pathway and prompted him to drop the Ring. Frodo slowly unclenched his fist and gasped as the Ring dropped away into the flames below. He tried to jump after it but Tegalad's grip on him stopped him. Tegalad pushed him towards Sam and pulled off his backpack. He remembered the jewelled leaf necklace Lady Galadriel had given to him before he rejoined the Fellowship. He had taken it off and kept it in his bag, to keep it safe. He replaced it with his lightning bolt carving and handed the bag to Frodo.

"Look after this for me," he said solemnly. "And don't look back."

"What are you-?" Frodo started to ask but Tegalad quieted him.

"There is something I need to do," he explained. "But I need you to promise me that you won't look back or wait for me."

"I'll look after...this for you," Frodo promised instead. Sam nodded his agreement and Tegalad nodded reluctantly, he knew that it was the most he would get out of them.

"And, could you tell Aragorn…could you tell him that I was happy? When he looked after me? No one has ever done that before, not like a parent would anyway."

"I'll tell him," Sam promised. Tegalad smiled at him with tears in his eyes. He didn't allow them to fall but he knew that his two friends would understand. He whispered once more to them a farewell, before he ran backwards and leapt off the edge of the pathway. He heard several protests, two coming from Frodo and Sam, and a third coming from his mind. It was with a smile that he sank beneath the burning river of lava, taking the last chance of Sauron's resurrection with him.

The Eye of Sauron let out one loud screech of fury and agony. Its gaze, still fixed on the mountain, shrunk in on itself before rushing outwards in one large explosion of noise and fire. The tower upon which it sat crumbled under the suddenness of the explosion, startling all survivors of the battle at the Gate. Cheers could be heard as the last remnant of the Dark Lord Sauron crumbled away and the orcs started to run. They ran away from the Gate's of Mordor, ignoring any Man in their path in their rush to escape annihilation. Soldiers picked themselves off the ground and hugged other survivors, cheering that they were still alive and that Sauron was dead once and for all.

For those in the Fellowship, they cheered. They cheered because they knew that Frodo had succeeded. He had done the impossible and bore the One Ring all the way to Mt. Doom and thrust it into the fiery pits from where it was made. Tears ran down many faces and more than one thought in glee that, it was over. That was until Mt. Doom erupted.

The suddenness of the explosion, the noise, the fire and the rock, pulled many soldiers from their celebrations and those in the Fellowship feared for those who had still been in the mountain. Tears of joy turned to tears of sadness and fear, and denials were torn from sore throats.

It wasn't until later, when Gandalf the White flew to Mt. Doom with the aid of eagles, that anyone fully understood what had happened. The tattered and blood-stained bag in Frodo's grasp was easily recognizable, but until either hobbit awoke, no one would know how they had managed to grab hold of the bag that had been in the possession of a small elfling. Nor would they know that it would be a long time before anyone saw the former wizard, for he was hidden away where few could find him, and for all intents and purposes, dead to the living world.

This chapter has been a long time coming, I know. The next chapter will be the last one and hopefully you won't have to wait that long for it. I may take a break from HP/LotR crossovers for a while, so that I can focus on my other stories. But I will write a sequel to this eventually. One day I will be in the mood to write it, and I already have a story line to go with it so that shouldn't be too difficult. But other than that I will be focusing on SPB and HP:CO. Look for updates for those two stories in the future.

Till the next chapter my faithful readers!