(Warning: Gross descriptions in the chapter)
Chapter 6 Knife in the dark and flight to the ford.
While the dragons went to the Throat of the World. Strider, Hunter, the hobbits and Sparx waited for their companions to return hoping that Spyro and Cynder would get better from the illness that had struck them. On the evening of the third day since their departure Strider took out a pack and unrolled it revealing four small swords.
"These are for you." He said as the halflings each grabbed a sword and pulled it out of it's sheath to check out the blade.
"Hunter I want you to stay with the hobbits while I scout the land." said Strider while the cheetah nodded.
"Durnehviir I want you to fly around south towards the Barrow Downs and see if the Black Riders or anyone else is trying to gain the aid of the Barrow wights there." Strider asked the recently resurrected dovah who nodded and then flew off.
Later that night
Hunter had moved the hobbits to a small cavern to properly hide them and left back ontop of the ruin to keep a lookout for the black riders and for Strider and the dragons but unknown to him the hobbits had gotten hungry and began cooking while Frodo was asleep.
"Got any cooked tomatoes?" Merry asked Sam while he cooked the meal
"Yea here they are Merry." answered the gardener before his friend and master awoke suddenly
"What are you doing?" he asked horrified
"Tomatoes, mushrooms and nice crispy bacon." answered Merry while Sam offered Frodo a plate
"Put it out you fools put it out!" exclaimed the panicking hobbit as he stamped out the fire knocking the pan into the ash as well.
"Well that's nice!" exclaimed a bewildered Merry
"Ash in my tomatoes!" yelled Pippin when suddenly a loud scream pierced the night causing the four hobbits and dragonfly to look over and shake in fear as they catch sight of five Black riders heading towards the ruin through the thick fog below them.
Frodo drew his sword and looked to the left "Go!" he exclaimed making the others to drop the plates and draw their swords hurrying to the top where Hunter was jogging towards them.
"Stay behind me." He ordered as he too drew his sword while the halflings stood back to back fearfully looking at the entrances for the Riders.
And soon one appeared like a thief in the night standing ontop of the stair well causing the small group to look on in anxiety and terror as it drew a massive and wicked looking greatsword out of it's sheath it grabbed the handle harshly it's metal gauntlets groaning as it slowly but surely stalked towards the six travelers followed by four others swords in a salute before bringing their swords to a fighting stance while the cheetah snarled at them.
Suddenly Sam charged at the leader sword raised "back you devils!" he yelled as he struck at the leader who blocked his almost laughable attacks before it tosses him into a pillar knocking the brave little hobbit out.
Hunter snarled and charged forth at the leader only to have one of them to attack and begin dueling with him leaving only Merry and pippin who stood in front of the rider before both were thrown aside and Frodo fell down squirming backward as the four wraiths surrounded him.
He crawled backwards before his back hits a wall the Ring slipping out from his shirt allowing the leader of the Wraiths to sense it and then come forward to the terrorfied hobbit drawing a wicked looking dagger with it's guard curved backward and the blade itself thin and deadly. Urged on by the Ring Frodo slips it on entering the Shadow world once again but this time instead of the Eye of Sauron there were five spirits each a decomposed man dressed in royal grave clothes with a evil looking crown upon their brows and wielding ancient bastard swords each carved with runes from the Black speech and finally upon their fingers were rings.
"Elbereth Gilthoniel!" Cried Frodo as he charged forward striking at the leader who simply blocked the hobbit's blow easily once, twice, thrice and on the fourth strike Frodo managed to slip past the taller and more experienced swordsman and stabbed him in the thigh causing the nazgul to scream in pain from the elvish blessing and stabbed Frodo with his dagger.
"Aaaaggghhh!" screamed the ringbearer as he fell to the ground the dagger's tip breaking into him as the heartless black riders stood over him ready to retrieve their master's Ring when suddenly the portal opened up once more and out of the magical doorway the dragons of Avalar and Tamriel flew out maws alit with fire while Aranthis yelled a mighty nord battlecry and slashed the leader of the the nazgul across his hood with Dawnbreaker lighting the wraith aflame like a moth that got too close to a torch while Strider leapt into the fight wielding a simple torch and sword slashing at the rear two wraiths while Durnehviir lands behind the one dueling with Hunter and blasts him with a Yol.
The wraiths shocked to see that their foe Ysmir along with a simple ranger had gained the aid of dragons and were beating them tried to flee with the ringbearer but screamed in pain as the dragons blasted them with their primal power forcing them to leave their prey as they leapt off of he ruin screaming into the night as they fled.
Frodo painfully pulls off the Ring returning to the world of the living with a painful scream waking up the hobbits and Sparx who had fainted when the Black riders appeared.
"Frodo!" exclaimed loyal Sam as he rushed to his master while the dragons chased after the wraiths driving them away while Strider, Hunter and Aranthis soon rushed over to their wounded friend.
"Can you help him?" Asked Sam frantically as Strider grabbed the dagger and cursed silently as the blade disintegrated and turned to dust "He was stabbed with a morgul blade." the ranger said grimly while his brother picked up the hobbit slowly.
"He needs elvish medicine." said Aranthis as they ran down the hill and into the woods towards Rivendell.
two days later.
The large party raced east towards the elf city only stopping once to put on clean wrappings for Frodo's wound before running once more.
"hurry!" yelled their guide as he carried Frodo in one hand while while carrying a torch in his other
"But Rivendell is six days from here. He'll never make it!" exclaimed Sam as he led Bill the pony
"Hold on Frodo." muttered Strider as he sped through the forest "Gandalf!" yelled the sickly hobbit as they raced on.
At Isengard
Saruman stood over the Palantir communing with Sauron his eyes closed with a hand over the numenorean device.
"The power of Isengard is at your disposal. Sauron Lord of the Earth." Said the fallen maia
"Nazgul failed. Build me an army worthy of Mordor!" commanded the Darklord before leaving Sarumon's mind.
Sarumon sat on a chair in his study by the fire as he huddled close by it for warmth looking ill as the love and warmth of Iluvatar left him leaving only the fire of hatred.
Soon a small group of orcs waddled in obediently as they nodded at the wizard, one with many tribal piercings spoke up
"What orders from Mordor. What does the Eye command?" he asked his voice shaking with excitement
Saruman glared at the misshapen creature and spoke through gritted teeth.
"We have work to do." He said coldly.
And with those words began a dark night the moon blackened by black magic as hundreds of orcs chopped and hewed the once mighty trees that once sought refuge within it's onyx walls soon fell to the axes of the orcs.
Sarumon walked out of his tower to inspect the destruction as the orc with the tribal piercings hissed out a command
"The trees are strong milord. Their roots run deep." he told his master
"Wreck them all down." commanded Sarumon coldly as the pained cries of a primal and ancient tongue echo from the trees and into the night loudly and awakening Gandalf who was imprisoned on the top of Orthanc his wounds and blood congealed from the cold as he slowly stood up and gazed in horror and disgust at the destruction around him before taking refuge under one of the dark spikes weeping silently at the betrayal of his mentor, friend, and brother.
As the once mighty trees were torn down thy were brought down through mighty chasms and canyons that the orcs dug where they were chopped and thrown into mighty fires to fuel large furnaces that burned day and night as the orcs forged mighty weapons and armor for the war that was brewing: Great war swords made for savagery and brute strength and the armor was meant for intimidation aswell as for causing pain to the foes of the wearer.
Yet deeper down was where the scatha or slaves of the orcs worked in muddy fields of blood, body parts and many other disgusting things as carts full of human and goblin body parts fell into the vomit inducing pits and mixed into the vile ground while strange egg like bulges were being brought up from the ground.
Saruman came down to inspect the first "birth" of his army the fighting Uruk-hai. As the scatha cleared away the filth a face snarled from within the thin skin that covered the uruk as it suddenly ripped through it and began to throttle the orc roaring at it as it took it's first breaths while his "rescuer" took it's last. The other orcs tried to aid their companion shrieking in fear as Saruman blocked them while the orc choked and tried to scream before falling down into the sickening mud. The Uruk stood up snarling and growling as it looked towards his master opening up it's hand to see blood dripping from it before grinning evilly.
In the Trollshaws
The group of heroes soon stopped in a small forest where there were three statues of large creature sneering in pain as each of them pointed downward as if arguing about something.
Frodo looks up with sickly blue eyes wandering as he gasps and shudders with cold while Sam his faithful friend came up to check on him
"Look it's Mr. Bilbo's trolls." he said trying to get his master and friend to wake up until he felt his cheek and gasped at how cold it was
"Strider!" he yelled gaining the humans attention who ran and checked on their patient
"Is he going to die?" Pippin asked nearly bursting with tears
"No. He is passing into the Shadow world. In time he will become a wraith like them." answered the ranger grimly when a distant cry of a nazgul was heard throughout the wooded night.
"They're close." Said Merry while Frodo gasped in pain
Strider went over to Sam quickly and grabbed his attention "Sam do you know of the Athelas plant?" he asked the most herb leaned of the hobbits.
"Athelas?" Sam asked confused
"Kingsfoil." Strider answered saying the plant's more common name
"Aye it's a weed." said Sam still confused
"It may help slow the poison." said Strider giving the hobbits a small chance of hope as he and Sam went into the woods looking for the small plants. But unknown to them two followers stalk through the shadows after Strider: one his brother the other an unknown female,
Strider soon found a small bush and began to cut some leaves he stopped suddenly as he feels the edge of a blade pressed against his throat.
"What's this a ranger caught off of his guard?" asked a condescending and smug female voice before she took an intake of breath as she met the same fate as the said ranger
"And what's this a faahliil kulaas, Elven princess caught with her petticoat down?" growled Aranthis who had a large waraxe with the engraving of an exaggerated picture of a elf on either side of the axe head.
"Easy Brother it's Arwen." Strider told his brother who lowered his axe and looked over his foster sister a elf with raven black hair in traveling clothes and armed with a katana like sword slightly curved with no guard.
"Sister. You've grown more beautiful than most of the daughters of Tamriel." grinned the half dunedain as he hugged her
"Aranthis but I thought you were-" said the she elf before being interrupted by the dragonborn
"Lost at sea most likely sleeping at the bottom of Ulmo's palace. I've already heard it from Aragorn. Now we need your help. the Ring has been found and it's bearer has been wounded with a Morgul blade." Ysmir making the elf to widen her eyes and race to her horse mounting it and follow the rangers to the campsite.
Once there Arwen quickly dismounted and walked towards the sickly hobbit "Frodo... I am Arwen. Hear my voice and come back to the Light." she told the young hobbit before kneeling down with Aragorn to inspect the wound
"Who is she?" asked Merry amazed at her beauty along with the other hobbits
"She's an elf." said the amazed gardener as Aranthis soon came into view.
"He's not going to last much longer. We must get him to my father." she told Aragorn who after administering the athelas picks him up and brings him to Arwen's horse despite the halflings questions.
"There are five wraiths behind you. Where the other four are I do not know." She told Aragorn as he fastens Frodo to the saddle
"Stay with the hobbits. I'll send horses for you." Arwen told Aragorn
"The road is too dangerous." Strider told the raven haired elf
"I'm the faster rider. If I can cross the river my people's power will protect us. I do not fear them." Arwen reassured Strider before his brother stepped in.
"Enough with the longful stares you two. Now we will all be riding out of here hard and fast. But only myself and Arwen will ride horses." Aranthis said as he shouted towards the woods
"Vokun Dinok Keyd!" shouted Ysmir shocking the she elf as a powerful sounding horse whinnied in the late night before the sound of hooves broke through the forest revealing a black horse with red eyes. Yet unlike the horses of the Ring wraiths this one was not covered with infested wounds but was instead built with powerful muscles like as if a artist carved him from a pillar of obsidian.
"behold the Dark prince of all horses: Shadowmere." Ysmir told his friends proudly as the dragons suddenly landed with triumphant roars shocking the elf princess as she tries to draw her sword but was stopped by Ysmir.
"Easy they're friends Sister." said Aranthis as he put a hand on Arwen's shoulder
"Who are they Aranthis, Aragorn?" she asked cautiously
"They are the Dovah of Skyrim and the dragons of Avalar. As I said they are friends of ours." Aranthis answered
"Aye. They saved us several times before during the journey even going up against the nazgul." said Pippin excitedly
"Indeed they have. Now the hobbits will be riding on Flame and Ember, Hunter you will be riding with Odahviing, Parthurnax I need you to return to Skyrim and tell the Greybeards to send out riders to the High King and the jarls, Durnehviir fly to Orthanc and spy on the white wizard. And finally Spyro and Cynder fly by Arwen and myself as we ride to the ford." Aranthis commanded as the dragons nodded and took off to their duties while the hobbits, Hunter and Aragorn packed Bill and let Odahviing to grab him.
And with that the heroes mounted the dragons or horses and went to their destinations.
With Durnehviir
I travelled through Kaan's skies towards the Ved gol iisk angaar to aid the wizard when suddenly I felt the weak and simple pitter patter of a rak, a moth on my back.
"Speak little insect. I will not harm you." I told the moth as it began whispering in a tongue of moths that is most unlike that of the moth priests back home. But judging from it's panicked voice I can tell that it is in need of aid and from the smell it came from Orthanc.
"Fly to your mistress little rak and tell her that the sons of Akatosh have heard the call of war. And that the Qahnaarin, Vanguisher shall bring fear to Sauron." I told the moth and it seemed to understand as it flew southeast while I looked down and saw the deep pits and torn golt, ground. On top of the crown like tower was an old man dressed in grey hanging over the ledge and held there by another in white.
"Embrace the power of the Ring. Or embrace your destruction!" the white one sneered and yanked his black stick back making the grey one land on his face.
The grey wizard looks at the fallen wizard and then towards me before talking to the fallen wizard.
"There is only one Lord of the rings. Only one and he does not share power." He said and with a burst of power he summoned his staff from Saruman and walked towards the edge as I floated down and unleashed my thu'um!
"Fus Ro!" I shouted knocking the fallen Vahlok zii while gandalf got onto my back allowing me to flee the tower but not before unleashing my Lahvu do Diil!
"Diil Qoth Zaam" And from the Soul Cairn the trapped souls of war and death are freed upon the world once more slaughtering the panicked ogiim.
"What will you do with me now dark dragon?" the injured spirit being asked
"We shall enter the Lumnaar do vonun Fahliil, valley of hidden elves and tell them of your kin's betrayal. I am Durnehviir Left hand of the Dovahkiin: Aranthis Dunadan heir of the dragon throne of Taazokaan, Tamriel and Jun do fin Brom, king of the north Arnor." I told the wizard as we flew through the night to Rivendell.
With the others
The dragons and horses rode through the dawn to midday as like as Death itself was hounding them Aranthis riding upon the horse of darkness: Shadowmere rode behind Arwen when he soon catches site of five of the nazgul behind them.
"We have company!" He yelled to his foster sister as they pushed their horses faster into a deeper part of the woods to try to lose the five when they were suddenly ambushed by the other four causing the two riders to separate and Arwen's cheek to get cut by a low branch as they tried to outrun the blackriders as they joined eachother with their prey infront of them.
But to the dismay of the nine the tow managed to cross the ford turning around to face the black riders who feared the water.
"Give him up she-elf and dragon spawn!" The Leader demanded causing Arwen to draw her sword Haddafang
"If you want him. Come and claim him!" she challenged causing their foes to draw their greatswords and march their horses across the ford like a wave of black clouds of evil.
Aranthis dismounted from his war steed and stood infront of the two horses as he began the summoning of powerful magicka and while Arwen muttered in the tongue of her people summoning the power of the Bruinen.
The sound of thundering hooves sounded causing the riders of both good and evil to look and see a massive wave of water in the shape of mighty warhorses racing down the riverbed towards the black riders causing them to flee while Aranthis grinned savagely and blasted pure lightning into the herd of watery steeds transforming more of the life giving river into the form of dragons while he shouted towards the sky: "Yol Iiz Kaal!" and "Ven Maar Diiv!" Summoning Spyro and Cynder proud in their new adult forms and blasting the words of power: "yol Toor Shul!" and "Fo Krah Diin!" into the raging rive and with the most primal and wild of elements: fire, water, ice and lightning they smote the nazgul sending them back to the Shadow world formless and their steeds slaughtered.
As the Ward and magic died down Spyrro and Cynder landed before their liegelord and nodded to him
"Will this be the last of them?" Spyro asked
"Nay. They will be back given new forms and steeds and their leader the Witch-King of Angmar will regain most of his powers making him difficult for even I to face him. But for now they are beaten." Aranthis said reassuringly when they heard Arwen yell!
"Frodo? No don't give in!" she begged the halfling
Aranthis and the dragons soon surrounded the sickly hobbit while Arwen hugged him and begged the Valar to save him while they and the others raced to Imladris.