With Rohirrim horses, we stormed the lands covering great distances alternating between grass seas, rocky mountain passes and thick forests. We would enter one weather and exit into another the more we travelled; rain, snow, sun, our skin bared it all and it wasn't until the horses slowed their pace that we thought it best to rest for the night.
We had stopped to water and feed them of course, we were not cruel to the beasts, but sleep had been out of the question, thus it was a relief to think it safe to do so now.
Erin didn't stop to discuss the matter of patrol, she just handed over her mare's reins and threw her body down onto a soft moss bed and instantly filled the wide open space with her deep gruff snores.
"I'll take first watch," Merith stated, narrowing her eyes at Erin's slumbering form.
I didn't bother to argue, "Very well, I'll cater to the horses and settle them down. Wake me when you have had enough."
She snorted as if I were questioning her ability and I didn't doubt that she would leave me well enough alone, just to prove she can last longer without sleep. I didn't care. If she wanted to be stupid just to prove a point, then I would let her.
With the three horses in tow, I hauled them to the riverbank and watched as they trotted towards the water and started thrashing about. Though it was ankle deep to them, the way they played and splashed drenched them entirely and I smiled at their childlike behaviour.
My legs had a slight shake after the long ride, so I slumped down and tossed apples at my feet, since I couldn't be bothered to stand and feed them myself. Already my mind had turned to home, as I breathed the air different to my Rohan; to my Clyro and somehow, I was even dissatisfied with that.
I wondered what everyone would be doing and how Brenna would take advantage of my absence with her shenanigans. Chuckling to myself, I was looking forward to hearing all about them on my return and started to come up with the odd punishment, but I was suddenly disturbed.
Neighing hysterically, the horses had wandered further away than I would have liked and it was my horse Greta who had started the frantic cries, setting the other two off as well as they dashed away from the spot they had been playing. Quickly, they ran up to where I was and were stomping their hooves in protest at whatever had triggered their fear and I watched their display with piqued curiosity.
"what is it Greta?" I cooed, grabbing her reigns as she passed and began humming to her to try and calm the horse down. With any other creature this would have been a risky thing to do, as a frightened animal is potentially dangerous, but myself and the mare shared a bond that made such a feat of her harming me impossible, so she let me brush my hand down the length of her nose and press my head against hers until I was certain she had settled down a little.
Again I looked to the water and saw nothing obvious and decided to go look for myself.
"stay here," I advised giving her one last stroke of comfort, but I hardly doubted the horse was going to refuse me.
One foot at a time, I pulled off my boots and braced the cold water washing over my bare feet, clenching my jaw to keep from yelling out a few choice in words that would have made an elf blush, since we had technically crossed into their lands.
in any case, I pushed forwards nearing where Greta had been. the stream was clean and clear for me to see the bottom and there the blackened object was very distinctive.
It was a gauntlet, an imposing fashion of iron razors layered to form the armour like dragon scale. I couldn't imagine that there were many in middle earth to be wearers of such a lethal design and had automatically thought the culprit to be an orc, at which point, I on impulse went to kick it away but as soon as my foot connected with it, I was unexpectedly struck by a vision.
It was through a fog I was made privy to the scene, where on one side there was an arm raised high, and with a distorted voice, this person spoke in elvish summoning a great wave which proved a force to be reckoned with, as it smashed into their cloaked foes.
Their cries were piercing and brought me back to the present where I was panting manically, as if I had been running a great distance and I hunched down to grip my stomach with the nausea.
"Nazgul" I hissed, with as much venom as I could muster.
Mentioning the name aloud, a chilling breeze blew carrying echoes of their cry and I shuddered.
What on this good earth were they doing prowling these lands, like the plague they were?
Anger boiled inside of me, anger and disgust that Mordor had released them from their accursed pit and I froze from the cold to have seeped into my bones.
I have been told stories of these wraiths. Kings fallen to darkness, becoming slaves to Sauron and morphing into creatures that made their flesh and souls not that of men, as they were neither living nor dead.
Their sole purpose was to follow their masters will and what did Sauron want most, but that which would give him ultimate power.
"the one ring," I whispered with heavy woe and tears gathered in my eyes as I bit my lip.
I knew our fight with the dark forces was worsening, if the wraith were me sign of the one ring's presence, I suddenly understood why a spark in Mordor had been lit which had made them more forceful in crossing our borders. Each time me patrols rode out; it was always with news of an orc pack their numbers growing more and more. As a result, I had forbidden the children from wandering too far from our homestead to keep them safe while I also accompanied each expedition, as it was me duty to fight beside my sisters and those I had sworn to protect.
I had not been at ease in this journey, one which has separate me from Clyro, but upon this discovery that feeling was worse than ever and I desired nothing more than to return to my family and to my country, believing my affairs should not be with the elves, but with the king to discuss battle strategies and defence. Rohan was vulnerable and our forces needed to be unified to repel our enemy, even if it meant my women must stand beside men, which had not occurred in decades, at best. But I could sense change and with it, I discarded my ill composure and instead became the formidable shieldmaiden once more, highly alerted to my surroundings.
Whistling, the horses lined in ready for me to take their reigns and lead them back to camp. Coming through the shrubs, I could see that Erin was still sleeping and envied her, for I doubted I would ever know the splendour of a sound sleep after what I had just found, while Merith gripped her weapon tightly before she realised it was me.
As was our way with each other, we did not make any acknowledgement and she went back to scanning the perimeter, but she was so attuned to characters she could tell something was off about me.
"Something the matter?" she asked.
I angled my head and deliberated on whether to answer her question, carrying on with slinging down some of my possessions to create a makeshift bed as I lay down next to Erin. My arms stretched up behind my head like a pillow, I couldn't see the point in hiding it from her, since if there were ring wraiths about, she needed to know.
"there was a glove in the river," I started, my voice sounding empty and unfeeling, "black as the ashes of Mordor."
"Orc," she concluded, and I wished it had been so simple a creature to kill.
I did not hesitate in breaking the news, I immediately corrected her without much regard as to how it would affect her, "No; Nazgul."
There was a silence and that cold I had experienced, I am sure she felt it too and as she met me gaze I saw a reflection of the expression I must have worn when I first made the gruesome discovery.
"quick to believe me," I remarked and watched as she swallowed back the lump in her throat and squeezed her eyes shut to compose herself.
Straightening her form, Merith's grip on her spear tightened as he replied honestly, "does it surprise you Sonya, that I have never taken your word for anything but truth. You are our leader and I would die if you should command it, as goes my loyalty for the shieldmaiden's. So yes, I do believe you."
I nodded grateful that despite our differences, the sisterhood that so tightly bound the shieldmaiden's of Clyro's in applied to us also and like all the other girls, I would never ask for Merith to die for me and would in her stead welcome death if I could help it. I did not say any of this, but I was sure it didn't need to be said, as long as I remained true to my duty as a leader.
As my last caution I warned, "if you spot any, do not approach. Wake me and Erin and we leave, silently."
"you don't want to confront them?" she asked, and without guilt that was the very last thing I wanted to do.
"Nazgul can't be killed Merith."
"But the armour in the river," she went to argue, but I cut her off with what I had endured down there.
"the gauntlet gave me a vision. Elven magic caused the river to grow and crash into them, but not even their influence can rid these creatures permanently."
Neither of us spoke, and then more for myself than her, I said, "As soon as we reach Rivendell the better."
out here in the open we were an easy target for monsters such as they and I did not want my sisters to be their victims, all for the sake of being summoned to a damned meeting. However, I knew the elves were protected by forces beyond my ken, which would keep us safe once we arrived at their great house proven by that very vision I had.
mystery no longer clouded my wonder over why we had been called from our home. But if the Nazgul and one ring was involved, then I wanted no part in any of the plans being conjured to deal with them. me priority was first to me family and I could not fathom how any of the evil to plague this land could be challenged with a favourable outcome.
The weight of leadership laid heavily on my chest realising how foolish I had been to once think it a show of power and ability, yet here I stand on the precipice of a very difficult and dark road ahead if me. many will be reliant on my wisdom and devotion to be their guiding light through it all and I could not waver. Me sword arm was not enough, I had to be able to inspire hope that will help my people to live.