Reminder:: I only own Finwen/Sarah. And her family. And Linius. And sort of Beleg (not his name). I can't think of anything else that could be mine, so the rest is owned by the Tolkien estate.

I wanted to say another thank you. It's been so long since I started this story, and it's hard to believe sometimes, but I've worked really hard to get here. n_n' I just feel I need to thank you for continuing to read this story – I'm shocked I still get reviews! You guys are great and I wouldn't do this without you. =)

Let's see some rising action, hm? =D

Chapter Forty-One :: Flight to the South

"You've been so brave, Sarah."

I was roused awake by a gentle, calming voice. I opened my eyes and was immediately blinded in the expanse of pure white light about me. I pushed off of the ground, having fallen face first off of my horse and suddenly feeling I fell into a different time and place. I lifted my head, tossing my mangy hair aside, and looked upon a familiar face.

The woman was rather tall and lean, almost lanky. She smiled despite the tired wrinkles of age forming around her eyes and mouth. Her hair was a light blonde color, the tips only barely touching her shoulders.

Standing beside her was a man with and orangish-blond mop of hair and a straight-backed posture. He was clean of facial hair, and his chin was strong – his jaw line pronounced and very masculine. His eyes were bright and joyous.

The two were a mystery to me. I felt I should know them, but after thousands of years, they were hard to recognize. I sat on the backs of my heels, staring up at them with confusion written on my face.

"This was meant to be a comfort to you." The man stated.

"A familiar face…?" She tried.

I suddenly knew the answer. My amnesia tended to work that way. "My parents? But… who are you? Really?"

The woman smiled, glad I recognized her disguise as my mother. "We have many names, child. I am Elentári, Star-Kindler, Lady of the Stars, Elbereth Gilthoniel. Varda."

"Lord of the West, Elder King, King of the Valar, Mânawenûz, Súlimo, and husband of Varda. I am Manwë." The man answered just as easily.

Well, that sounded like a load of gibberish to me. I sat and watched them, waiting for explanations that would never come. "Why are you here?"

"You followed me." Varda said, the name I chose to know her by. "And you are so close."

"My eagles' descendants are before you." Manwë said, seeming to be much more cut and dry than his wife. "Your journey is not over. The Fields of Cormallen will erupt in war in but two days. The Battle of Morannon is about to begin."

As if to prove it, Varda opened the white space like parting a curtain aside. I stood and peered through the gap, a rip in time to the future.

Down through the stars where we watched, I saw again the ragged mountains holding up the tall black gate from my dreams. This time, the gates were opened wide and thousands of orcs poured out to meet an army vastly out-numbered. The Eye of Sauron, the first time I had ever seen him, watched the battle from his tower in Barad-dûr.

I had only a glimpse, but my heart did not still as I expected when or if I would ever see the Eye. I was safe. I was in the presence of the monarchs of the Valar, something I was still desperately trying to wrap my mind around. My brain was being disobedient, and I could not form any rational questions with my slowed cognitive process. I simply took them to be as they are. Later, I would never truly understand this meeting and I would forget much of it. One thing I would always remember was the sound. Their voices. Could it be the voice? For this is your chance to live again…? Somehow I had doubt. There was a higher power still…

The gap in time froze and Varda replaced her stars.

"Time is short. Without the eagles, the realms of men will fall at the Black Gates of the Dark Tower." Manwë made short of things.

"Hurry, Sarah." Varda as my mother said to me. "The fate of the Ring-Bearer lies with you now."

"But will the eagles listen to me?" I finally got one of the millions of questions fogging my brain out. "How will they know I am not deceiving them?"

Varda looked knowingly at her husband and reached out her hand to me. I took it. Going with my question unanswered, by the touch of her hand, I had been thrown with a jolt back into reality. Was that another dream?

I picked myself up off the rock in the same manner I just had, experiencing a nasty déjà vu. My hair flicked idly with the passing, cold winds in the frost-bitten air. I blinked my eyes and clenched my fists to regain the sense in my numbed fingers. Linius' bow sat next to me, so I snatched it and pulled myself to a sitting position. Before I could though, I was picked up by a stronger force and left dangling in the air over the precipice where I passed out.

My voice caught in my throat and my lungs skipped a few breaths, my heart a few beats. The giant talons that held my robes by the back were connected to a monstrous eagle with a golden head. Another eagle with darker brown feathers was nearby, inspecting Alatar and coming up behind me to speak with the eagle holding me up.

"What do you suppose this is?" The first eagle asked, so close with its beak large enough to swallow me whole. They spoke in short squawks and grumbles I couldn't understand.

"Obviously a human." The second eagle remarked. I looked around carefully and saw Alatar plastered to the ground in what I hoped to be sleep. "Awake, too."

My breath hitched again as the eagle jerked me higher for inspection. A giant golden eye peered into my face and I squirmed away.

"Oi, you're right. But a little she, it is. What do you suppose we do with her?"

"Wouldn't want to eat her." The second eagle said in a slow grumble. "Couldn't leave her here either."

"Should we take her to the Windlord? He'll know what to do with trespassers – maybe get some words out of her."

The second eagle agreed and I was suddenly shaken. What were they doing? Were they going to eat me? How I was I supposed to communicate with beasts? Was I supposed to miraculously know their language!-?

Frustration and fear built up inside of me as great wings flapped one, two, three times and I was lifted into the air. The second eagle scooped up Alatar, having some difficulty with the weight for a moment before following the eagle carrying me.

Though I figured I could trust the strength of the eagle, I was terrified. We flew at an incredible speed over the mountain canyons, sharp rocks, and dark crevices. I let out a scream now and again when tears brimmed my eyes, but my eagle took no notice. When I would squirm too much, the grip of the giant talons would grow tighter and I would shake slightly. I suppose it was the equivalent of an angry parent on a road trip telling their kids to just shut up and wait until we get there.

Over the last mountain top, so high my nose threatened to bleed, a great eyrie was revealed. Nests made of trunks of trees and whole branches were placed carefully along the rocks and niches. We passed these cliff homes quickly, making our way to a stone outcropping where a great eagle, twice as large as the one that was carrying me (and I thought this one was big!), was perched magnificently on the stone. I half-believed it was a great brown feathered statue until the head slowly turned and I was caught in gilded eyes. Alatar and I were placed at his feet.

The eagles spoke more in their own tongue, making sharp clicking sounds – probably explaining where they found me and asking what to do. The great eagle just listened and stared me down.

I scooted closer to Alatar, glad to see that his eyes were open. He sat awkwardly on his stomach. I pet his neck and cleared his mane from his eyes. "Sh… Sh… I'll get us out of here; don't worry." I whispered. "I just have to figure out how to talk to them… Feel like translating?"

Alatar's big doe eyes stared at me blankly. Guess I was short on options.

I suddenly realized how silent it had become. The eyes of nearly two dozen giant eagles were on me. I shrunk.

Then the largest eagle did something I never expected. He spoke. "What brings you hence, she-human? These lands are forbidden to your folk."

I stared at him stupefied, mouth agape.

"Speak quickly! Your silence does not help your case."

"You can talk!" I said, startled.

"Obviously you can as well." He stated matter-of-factly. "I thought you were dumb."

I shook my head, hardly believing this. "My name is… Finwen."

He didn't appreciate the hesitation. "I am Gwaihir the Windlord. What brings you, Finsen, to my eyrie?"

"Finwen." I corrected him bravely. I gulped all the same. "I… I come for aid."

"Aid? What aid is—?"

Gwaihir was cut off and if eyes weren't glued to me before, they were now. Confused, I looked down at myself and saw a large, friendly-looking Emperor Gum Moth flittered up, circled me, and rested comfortably on my arm.

For some reason, this was a big deal. The eagles cooed to each other and bobbed their heads. Gwaihir ignored them, but his attitude changed drastically. "Speak. What brings you hence?"

I poured my story out as fast as I could. I told him everything I knew about Varda and Manwë, hopefully convincingly, and I spoke of the dreams that led me here to request their assistance. "Please, if you do not help, the battle will grow ill and fail. Men need you—"

"We avoid the conflicts of Men. Leave us be, she-human." Gwaihir said with a slight whistle in his grumbling voice. "We are but peaceful creatures. We cannot fight your war."

Downcast, I slid back to my feet. I had hardly remembered standing up to him, but now I sunk low. Did I really come this far to fail? To ride for eight days straight – to follow a dream – to speak with angels – to parley with eagles – to fail? I felt numb. Was it just me? Did I not present the need well enough? What did I do wrong?

The moth crawled up my arm and rested on my shoulder, admittingly creeping me out. At first that is. I turned my neck and held my finger up to the moth that was the size of my outspread hand. The moth crawled onto my finger balanced itself with the rest of my hand, seeming to sniff me with its large, fuzzy antennas.

An eagle behind Gwaihir had been keeping a close eye on me all the while. He grunted something and Gwaihir turned in what looked like surprise. The two conversed, seemed to argue, and then Gwaihir rattled my bones when he gave out a loud screech. I held my hands to my ears in pain. The moth was scared away by the shout and landed on Alatar's saddle.

The eagle that was slightly smaller than Gwaihir held his ground. He bobbed his head and motioned to me, finally stepping back.

Gwaihir turned to me, a new hostile light in his eyes. "My brother Landroval has taken your side, Small Finwen. If all they can spare is a small she-human like yourself, then the need must indeed be dire… I trust him with my life – if he sees something in you I do not, I will not regret his choice. We will fly with you."

"YES! YES!" I shouted in joy, jumping to my feet and bouncing around. The eagles watched me in confusion and slight amusement as I danced about in victory and excitement. I turned back to Gwaihir. "Gwaihir the Windlord, you will not regret your brother's decision. Thank you! Thank you Landroval! Thank you so much!"

Then I mentioned the battle was only two days away.

A cry went up and the canyon echoed with the eagle's song. I gripped my ears tight again as four other eagles came forward. Gwaihir spoke to them in their own tongue as I waited, a little doubtfully. Will only six make the flight? Would that be enough? I honestly had no room to complain. If Gwaihir saw it fit – six would be plenty.

I ate whatever was left of the bread and downed a good portion of my water. Alatar made his way over to a small patch of snow and improvised. In a matter of minutes, the eagles were ready to go.

There was some argument, but in the end, Landroval was going to take me. I was given the opportunity of sitting on his back. Though it was a clumsy climb, he scraped his belly low to the ground for me and I crawled aboard directly behind his neck.

I didn't want to treat him like an animal, but I patted his neck gently to get his attention. "The real victory is yours – you listened. Thank you for hearing me."

Landroval did not react much, but he held his head a little higher. What could I say? I liked it when the lesser sibling got some leverage.

Gwaihir spread his wings and so did the five behind, lining up along the cliff wall. I looked down as my heart started to thump. Alatar would be left behind.

"W-wait! Wait!" I called frantically.

Gwaihir folded his wings and turned around. He was like the bird equivalent of Mithrandir and I had pressed his nerves enough as it was. He didn't even say anything until I pointed at my horse. "What of it? You said yourself we were pressed for time."

"I cannot leave him." I plead. "He is my dearest friend – one of my last."

"None can bear him. The horse will only slow us."

Tears threatened my eyes, but I was still defiant. I wasn't going to lose Alatar like this – it was ridiculous. I started to dismount Landroval, but Gwaihir stepped forward to stop me, this talons scratching the rock beneath him.

"Stay where you are!"

"I can't! I'd rather ride back on Alatar than leave him behind. I will follow on his mount." I said clearly, finally standing up for myself.

Gwaihir made a strange sound reminiscent of a laugh. I couldn't tell if he was mocking me, but Landroval spoke up. "So be it! You will fly in the back – Landroval is willing to bear you both."

I couldn't contain my excitement. Some genuine kindness! I hugged Landroval about the neck and gave him further praise as he spread his wings.

Gwaihir lifted off with a great gust of wind and the others followed, stretching their own wings in leaving. Landroval pushed off and hovered over Alatar. The moth found my sleeve again and rested there, content to remain on my shoulder for the trip. I didn't mind – and it held some significance with the eagles, so it didn't hurt to have it around. Perhaps it was a gift from Manwë and Varda? I could only guess.

Alatar was taken up in Landroval's claws and we sunk slightly. It would be a hard trip. But Landroval was not to give up so easily. He beat his wings harder and we soon caught up in flight to the rest of the party, the eagles crying beneath as the clouds consumed us all.