Disclaimer: I do not put any claim on any thing of or relating to Tolkien's works. Those belong solely to the great professor of whom I am simply a humble admire.
Author's Note: Feel free to review and tell me what you think. I always enjoy receiving constructive criticism on my stories. If you notice anything of a canonical nature that is incorrect in this story please let me know. This chapter will contain much death including that of a fairly prevalent character. Just a warning.
I heard a woman scream. My eyes shot open and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I stood off the side of a courtyard of white marble just behind an ornate pillar carved with intricate detail to look as though it were wrapped in vines. There was a group of people running towards me, all seemed to be tall, come were dark and others were fair. Many were clad in bright armour and held drawn weapons. I felt the heat of a strong fire that was not only heat but evil as well. One of the people in the group called to me, when I did not respond another member of the group ran over to me and grabbed my arm and pulling on it, urging me to run. I was in shock…moments before I had been on a cliff over looking a peaceful lake with a forest vista, the leaves just budding on the trees laid out before me, and then I was in a city of white marble that was obviously the most beautiful city I had ever seen, even though it was being sacked by monsters.
I couldn't think straight, and that was when I could think at all. All I knew was that someone, who at least appeared to be human, was telling me to run, so I ran. We ran and ran, through the streets and buildings away from the fighting. Those of the group with swords were slaying monsters as they came at us. I couldn't think it was all so foreign to me. I had read about wars, I had learned of the horror of them through books and films but no war I had read about could prepare me for seeing this. This wasn't men fighting men; it was monsters. There were creatures that that looked humanoid but horribly mutilated. There were great lizards with leathery wings that could only be called dragons and they were breathing fire scorching everything that was in their path. There was some kind of wolf larger and more vicious then any animal I had ever seen. The worst of all were the beings that seemed to be composed of fire, shadow and evil. This was like something out of a fairy tale, a fairytale that had turned into a very scary nightmare.
All I could do to keep from sitting down and staring dumbly until one of those nightmarish creatures came and killed me was to run. So I ran. I ran like I never had run in my life. After a time it registered that the person who had grabbed be had not let go of me. In one hand he carried a gleaming sword marred with black blood, and his other hand still held my arm firmly. We ran near the back of the group my saviour shielding me with his body as well as his gleaming sword as we were ever attack by our hellish pursuers. All around me many of the warriors fell cut down by what seemed to be an unstoppable reckless hate. I noticed in my numbed state of mind that many bore the same heraldry has my saviour did
For a time the attacks on our group lessened. We approached a place that had been both sacred and joyous; so much happiness had been brought here that you could feel the joy in the very air. It felt as though everyone should be singing and dancing, that to be anything but happy was wrong. However, none did feel happy and none would ever feel happy here again. You could feel the happiness in the place fading and dieing.
Before a beautiful fresco stood a sole warrior and a woman, the woman's hair fell unbound to her knees, her wreathing her in its golden radiance. I had never seen a sight more beautiful in my life. The leader of the group of our group spoke with the women. I understood not their words but I could feel the pain and grief that deadened every syllable that they spoke. The woman's voice held so much agony it made me want to weep. The man turned from her but the woman called out to him and fell to her knees before him. She clasped his knees laying her pale cheek against them, tears were pouring down her cheeks. I remember feeling that someone as beautiful as she was should never have need to cry.
I turned from the couple in time to see the great white tower that stretched above the city burst into hot flames. Many of those about me screamed in dismay. One of the great dragons decimated the base of the tower and it fell into smouldering ruin. It seemed to be that in that moment the people of the city understood that there was nothing left here to save. The people could now only be saved by escape. So again we ran, my saviour had not let go of my arm and although I had never been a runner preferring to bike, I ran faster then I had believed I was capable of. We entered on of the palaces that had yet to endure destruction of the nightmares that surrounded the city.
We ran through the corridors and great rooms of the house. Others joined us; I assumed they were members of this household. We came to a door in what looked like it was built into the very wall of the burning city itself. The door was opened and the group crowded through. Those with swords stayed at the rear guarding from behind. The person who held my arm pushed me through the door and then went to hold of any of the foes who could be now heard coming through the palace we had just passed through.
Through the door was a tunnel then a long downward flight of stairs. Down we went, it seemed forever. I am still not sure to this day how much time had passed that day from when I had opened my eyes in the court yard and when we stopped running. At one point I tripped over the body of one of the fore guard of the group. I felt as though I might have thrown up if I had had anything in my stomach to throw up at that point.
Finally, we came out of the tunnel into a pass under the open sky, night lay over the land and in the sky the stars were brightly shinning unsullied by the terror that reigned below them. This was the not the end of our travels. On ward we journeyed continuing for we knew what would follow behind. It is amazing the strength that is given to the hunted.
At dawn the sun hung over the mountains in the east and our group came upon another small group of refugees all of whom were on foot as we were. They were being attached by those hideous humanoid creatures astride the great vicious wolves. Quickly, a group of warriors detached themselves from the group with which I travelled and went to aid the refugees. Our leader seemed glad to see them, and in time they prevailed over their foes. It was then that I noticed the child, who for all his hair was dark as shadows one could not mistake him for anyone but the leader's son.
We travelled on moving further from the fallen city. I walked with the women, children and injured. I would occasionally lend a hand to one who needed what strength I could share with them. We were far back in the group. Behind us was only our rear guard, the warriors who did not sustain any injury. I became weary and was beginning to believe that I would soon falter and not be able to go on when we were beset both from behind and in front.
The mutilated hideous humanoid beings pored out of the hills and we were hard set, it seemed that seemed to me that all was lost and that none of us would survive. Out of no where came one of those nightmares of dark fire attacking the warriors who guarded us from behind. Many of the company fell, and I do not think they would have prevailed had a great bird not swooped from the sky with talons like iron sending the nightmare creatures to their death. Many found their death by flames that day before my saviour from the courtyard cast the monster down into abyss next to the pass. The brave warrior fell with the nightmare creature to his own end. Although in those hours I had seen more death then I had ever wished to see, for some reason seeing the death of the person who had given me a chance to live through this horror hurt me more deeply. Knowing that I would never be able to thank him I let out a heart wrenching cry that I had not know was possible for the human voice to utter.
The great bird that had come to our rescue sped down into the abyss. I recognised the shape of the bird as that of a golden eagle. Yet he was mightier and more magnificent than any eagle I had ever seen in my world. Shooting up he came again, bearing the body of the brave warrior. Together with the others I helped bury him beneath a cairn of stones. I heard the name Glorfindel, utter many times through this process, uttered in tones of awe and grief. It was then, it hearing that name that I knew where I was. I understood what was happening around me. It was then that I knew I was no longer in my own time or world. All that I knew was gone, all I had learnt of life and survival my world was near useless. The only truths I had to go on were the writings of an Oxford professor about a world that was nothing but a mystical fairy tale. I was in Beleriand, at the Fall of Gondolin.