Chapter 29
The ships were nearing the shore. "Move quickly, we haven't much time!" Aragorn commanded, his spirit much revived.
"Hold it!" Bee shouted, using her best "I'm the princess, don't mess with me" voice.
"Bee, we haven't the time!"
"Well make time! I'm not going one step further until someone gives me a good explanation as to why a bunch of ghosty men just tried to kill us and are now fighting on our side. And what we're actually fighting about!"
"We fight for the freedom of middle earth!" Legolas told her, trying to take her arm and lead her down the hill.
"Don't give me that hippy flower ideology! So help me if this is just one of those freedom fighter groups…"
"Bee, do you know of the Dark Lord?"
Bee paled. "Yes"
"It is him we fight against, and a weapon he forged long ago to give him physical shape and the power to dominate all life"
"Not… the one ring? Surely that's just a fairy story, told to children"
"No Bee. The ring is real and right now it is in the hands of one of our companions, who is taking it to the pit it was made so it can be undone and its curse lifted." Aragorn told her gravely.
"Surely as one of the Eldar you have felt the presence of its evil growing" Legolas asked her, incredulous.
Bee's eyes fell. "I confess I have, but I mistook it for my own malice and hardness of heart. This ring is responsible for the growing shadow and sadness?"
"Yes Bee. And if we don't get down there now to meet those ships the shadow will spread only further."
"Well then why are we standing around blethering for goodness sake?! Let's go!" Bee took off down the hill.
* * * *
They were waiting for the ships when they drew up to shore, weapons at the ready.
"You can go no further." Aragorn said, his voice ringing out over the water "You will not enter Gondor." His tone allowed for no defiance or contradiction.
The sailors, in their ignorance, laughed. Their captain was even so brash as to ask "who are you to deny as passage?" as if he was not speaking to its rightful leader and king.
"Legolas, fire a warning shot past the bosun's ear" Aragorn's voice did not lose it's authority, but became softer as he addressed his friend.
'Mind your aim" Gimli warned. Bee did not like the hint of mischief in his voice. As the elven warrior took aim, he knocked his bow with the handle of his axe. The arrow flew amiss and struck one of the pirates in the heart. He fell to the deck, dead. The laughter ceased.
The three turned to the dwarf, fed up looks on their faces but he ignored them, calling instead to the boats. "That's it. Right. We warned you. Prepare to be boarded"
the pirates laughed again. "Boarded? By you and whose army?"
"this army" Aragorn's voice was barely a whisper. The captain of army past through him like a hand through water. The sailor's glee turned to fear as their boats were swarmed. The four warriors stood calmly by as the entire army past through them and boarded the ships.
Meanwhile in Gondor
Celandine and Pippin stood side by side in the Citadel courtyard looking down upon the destruction. Below men were hurrying through the city streets towards the front gates, you could only identify them by the small lights of the torches they carried.
Parts of the lower city were ablaze, glowing like beacons in the dark night.
The pair turned their heads at the sound of the large Citadel doors opening. A small party exited led by a sour face Denethor, behind him a procession of mourners him carrying an unconscious Faramir.
Denethor spoke letting his words echo around the courtyard "I am Steward of the House of Anarion…Thus have I waked."
The hobbits rushed forwards to see what was happening. Hearing the crazed man continuing "And thus now will I sleep. Gondor is lost. There is no hope for men."
Celandine was momentarily distracted by a flash of white in the corner of her eye. Looking up she saw a single flower had bloomed on the supposed dead tree of Gondor.
Pippin had already began walking after the procession not noticing that the other hobbit was not following him. Celandine continued to look at the flower in wonder, swearing that she could see a shape of a star. Pippin looked back finally noticing Celandine was still rooted to the spot "Celandine, come on!" he called waving his hands trying to get the other hobbits attention.
Snapping from her daze Celandine took off and began to follow after the crazed steward.
The hobbits followed closely behind into the halls of the dead. Hearing Denethor calling out for wood and oil.
Men began to stack wood together creating a pyre to burn the Stewards son. They placed Faramir now drenched in oils upon the pyre. Celandine and Pippin stood by the doorway watching in horror with the knowledge that the man was not dead.
"The House of his spirt crumbles…he is burning" Denethor whispered taking his sons face in his hands "he's already burning."
Pippin could take it no longer. Fear for Faramir's life overcame his fear of Denethor and he burst into the room. "he's not dead" he cried and rushed up to the faggots (bundles of sticks), shaking them. Celandine stood by his side, trying to destroy the pyre by ripping the wood away. Denethor seized them both and dragged them out the door.
"No! No! No!"
"Farewell, Peregrin son of Paladin. I release you from my service." He flung the two out the door. "Go now and die in whatever way seems best to you" He closed the doors and was heard to order "pour oil on the wood"
Powerless yet determined, the hobbits took off in search of Gandalf. The pair ran through the city streets dodging the men rushing around them.
"Where is eh?" Celandine cried after a few minutes, looking around hoping to see the white wizard.
Pippin was panicking, taking hold of Celandine's he took of pulling the she-hobbit with him.
All around them were bodies of the fallen, fighting was all around them orcs, trolls and wargs surrounded them.
A feeling a relief washed over the pair when the wizard came into view "Gandalf!" they cried trying to get his attention.
"Denethor has lost his mind! He's burning Faramir alive!" without a moment's hesitation, Gandalf took hold of the hobbits arms and hauled them up onto the back of Shadowfax. It looked a right sight.
Shadowfax kicked the doors in, revealing a servant poised to light the fire.
"Stay this madness!" Gandalf urged.
Denethor seized the torch, the light of fire and madness alight in his eyes "You may triumph on the field of battle for day… but against the power that has risen in the east… there is no victory"
Now Gandalf saw the truth. Denethor had given himself over to despair and the insanity it brings.
Denethor threw the torch down and the fire flamed, ignited by the oil, feeding on the wood. Despair encroached on all hearts. Gandalf urged Shadowfax forward. He struck Denethor with his staff and as one the hobbits leapt from the horse onto the burning wood. Together they pushed and rolled Faramir's limp body until he fell free of the flames. They rushed to smother the fire burning at his clothing. Denethor got up and attacked Pippin in a mad rage.
"You will not take my son from me!"
Pippin cried out in fear. Celandine swung her fist, catching the mad steward in the eye, making him let Pippin go. Shadowfax reared up and kicked Denethor back onto the pyre. It was as he moved to get up that his gaze fell on Faramir, and his opening eyes.
"Faramir?"
Faramir stared weakly back at his father, who appeared as a flaming spectre, a hallucination.
Denethor cried out in torment and as his clothes ignited, ran blindly out the room.
"So passes Denethor, son of Ecthelion"